Daniel makes stuff, and, in his spare time, writes about things like movies, kid culture, and geek stuff.
Taking a Virtual Census

The first comprehensive survey to examine the representation of minorities in video games is out, and the results are not good: buy a video game today, and you’ll likely be treated to a glaring omission of fair and accurate representations of African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, women, children, and – finally – the elderly.

Jul 29, 2009 :: Tagged under: , :: #

What Makes Nintendo Successful

The Seattle Times talks with one of Nintendo’s directors about what their secret is to making great games – as well as good money.

“Creating something with massive appeal doesn’t require a franchise and it doesn’t require a large development team,’‘ he said. “The only thing that really matters is the ability of the game developer.”

(Via Kidscreen.)

Jul 22, 2009 :: Tagged under: , :: #

The History Behind the Video Game Names

Everything you could ever want to know about the origins of darn near every video game character you can think of, from Axle the Red to Zelda – all on one page. It’s etymological goodness to the tenth degree.

Oh, and apparently the dog in Duck Hunt had a name: Mr. Peepers. That just rocks my world.

Jul 21, 2009 :: Tagged under: , :: #

"Take Two Video Games and Call Me in the Morning"

Somehow I missed Scientific American’s take on video games earlier this week:

Certainly, the mind is the product of its environment and devoting a lot of time to any one activity will induce changes in the brain. The question is: what changes does video gaming induce, are these changes beneficial or deleterious, and how do they affect behavior?

Growing scientific evidence demonstrates that the human brain dynamically changes in response to experience and to changes in the environment, a phenomenon that is known as “plasticity.” It is also believed that timing is crucial – our brains appear to be more susceptible to change early in our developmental lives. Thus, a world with vastly different technology driven demands, opportunities and challenges, is surely going to lead to brain changes: the brain of our children will be different from those of the generations who rode their bikes, jumped rope, and played sports in the backyard, rather than throwing a football with Madden NFL 09.

There has been increasing interest on the possibility that video games may actually induce brain changes that lead to behavioral benefits. A number of applications of computer games have been developed for education and rehabilitation. At least anecdotally, individuals who have played a lot of video games using joy stick controllers in their youth are supposed to make better airline pilots when they grow-up. However, finding that familiarity with the motor skills required to operate a computer or a gaming console conveys advantages for the control of similar technology is not that surprising or exciting. We have long known that practice can make perfect.

A recent study by Daphne Bavelier and colleagues at the University of Rochester offers the intriguing suggestion that playing video games may not only be beneficial because of practicing specific skills, but may also enhance core functions of vision – something that has been classically viewed as immutable as an adult. These investigators have reported that playing certain action video games results in a significant improvement in “visual contrast sensitivity,” a measure of how well an individual is able to discern low-contrast targets.

(Via BoingBoing.)

Jul 02, 2009 :: Tagged under: , :: #

Empire's 100 Greatest Video Games

The 100 best video games of all time, as voted by Empire Magazine‘s readers. The list is a real nostalgia trip: I spent much too much of my life playing #87, #81, #77, #76, #69, #59, #36, #27, #17, #12, #10, #9, #8, and #1 from the list, and yet I am grateful for every minute of it.

Even if you aren’t a gamer, I just think this is a great list to click through – if only to get a glimpse at what so many kids have fallen in love with over the years.

Jun 22, 2009 :: Tagged under: , :: #

A Father's Perspective on the Future of Video Games

Patrick Klepek, of G4 TV, offers his own commentary along with an e-mail exchange he recently had with a young father, who wonders if the Nintendo Wii’s motion controller may have completely changed the concept of video games for his own kids:

These are kids growing up in a Wii world and it’s going to change things. Their nostalgia isn’t Mario Bros., it’s Wii Sports.

“I am sure I am not the first grown person to go buy a Wii to save their real game system from the little ones or just get the kids a video game system that will not bankrupt the family budget,” he told me. “I would be willing to bet that accounts for a large portion of the Wii install base right there. All of our kids are learning to play video games standing up and twisting and waving around like crazed (well) kids. Which is a lot better than being a couch potato like their parents.

“In the near future my sons are going to get tired of Mario and be ready for Call of Duty and SOCOM,” he said. “They are very smart and will know the difference between that little box with its poor graphics and the PS3/360. But they will have no idea how to play a video game sitting on the couch and mashing buttons. They are going to want a gun that recoils and moves with them. They are going to want to dodge and duck and strafe with their bodies, because that’s the way [they] are learning to play today.”

… In ten years I’m going to be telling my kids about the old days when all video games were played by sitting on the couch and pressing buttons,” he joked. “They are going to make fun of me and call me an old man.”

It’s a great piece. I had pretty much the exact same thought when the Wii was first announced a few years ago.

(Via What They Play.)

Jun 18, 2009 :: Tagged under: , , , :: #

Playing Video Games is Good for You

Forget violence and mayhem. Prosocial video games – like Super Mario Sunshine – are actually being shown to significantly increase prosocial behavior, like helping others, according to the latest research.

Of course it’s contextual – it depends on the particulars of the game – but based on a new psychological research study, lumping all video games into the “evil” category and blaming them for the world’s problems just isn’t going to cut it.

“Video games are not inherently good or bad,” the study’s authors write, “just as any tool is not inherently good or bad. For example, an axe can be used to split logs for a fire to keep people warm on a cold day or it can be used as a weapon. Likewise, video games can have both positive and negative effects. Content matters, and games are excellent teachers.”

May 28, 2009 :: Tagged under: , :: #

Steven Spielberg, Gamer Dad

From WhatTheyPlay.com, a look at another side of filmmaker Steven Spielberg:

“I’m old enough to be able to say that I was the first person to ever play Pong in my generation back in 1976 back when I was making Jaws. I was shooting Jaws on Martha’s Vineyard and somebody wheeled a Pong to the carousel ride in Oak Bluffs. And Richard Dreyfuss and I would unwind after those torturous days of shooting that movie almost five nights a week playing Pong with each other in the carousel. My interest in video games is really from the outset of the industry before it was a revolution.” – Steven Spielberg

The rest of the article is about Steven’s love of video games, his involvement in game development, and playing video games as a family. His latest game, Boom Blox Bash Party, is a sequel to the successful Boom Blox – an interactive, multi-person experience that he says was based on the idea of “knocking things down” the way “we play with our kids.” Ultimately, he views both games as a way of bringing families together, as a family activity.

[In] our family, we have older kids and younger kids – I have seven kids – the older kids play the M-rated games the younger kids are playing the E-rated games and therefore they don’t ever play in the same space. I wanted to get a game that would bring the entire family participating together, and that’s where the idea for Boom Box came from. It was that need to bring the gaming family into the same space.

He also talks about user-generated content in games (where kids construct, rather than destruct), the economics of video games as entertainment, and the intersection of the movies and gaming industries. It’s a great read.

May 19, 2009 :: Tagged under: , , , :: #

Addicted to Video Games?

The Washington Post reports on a study out of Iowa State:

In what is described as the first nationally representative study in the United States on the subject, researcher Douglas Gentile of Iowa State University found that 8.5 percent of American youths ages 8 to 18 who play video games show multiple signs of behavioral addiction.

Gentile’s study purports that their “game addiction” negatively impacts other areas of kids’ lives – such as their performance in school, willingness to do chores, and so on. Other bits: boys are four times more likely than girls to be pathologically addicted to video games. Kids with addiction lie about the time spent playing, and sometimes steal games or money to play more. And the study couldn’t say whether kids play video games because they perform poorly in school (seeking a feeling of mastery), or whether kids perform poorly in school because of video games.

But here’s my question: 8.5% of American youth are addicted to video games. But what about the percentage of adults? I’d wager the number is just as high, if not higher. Why divorce kids from the broader problem? And given the ample research speaking to the strong benefits of video game play for children, are major news outlets such as The Washington Post just fueling more fear and skepticism toward video games – instead of acknowledging their value (for all ages, kids and adults alike) when treated in a balanced way?

There was at least clear voice in the Post’s article speaking on the study:

“I think kids use this just the way kids watch television, the way kids now use their cellphones,” said Michael Brody, chairman of the media committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. “They do it to relieve their anxiety and depression. It’s all a matter of balance.”

Apr 19, 2009 :: Tagged under: , , :: #