video game study

-back on track-

I've been away for a while, using my busyness with academics and yoga teacher training as an excuse. I went to speak with one of my journalism profs today, and he asked about my website... and when I told him the news, he gave me the nice plite version of the "get your ass in gear" speech. And then I realized he was right. Boo.

I already wrote 9 stories within a 2.5 hour period today (this celebrated event is called "speed day" in my news-writing class), what's one more, right?

Also, YFG is still recruiting. If you're still interested, shoot me an e-mail.
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I found this study evaluating the positive and negative effects of online and single-player videogames, and the results are ambiguous as ever, claiming gaming's effects to be a "double-edged sword."

However, online, multiplayer gaming seems to have more negative effects than single-player gaming.

Smyth’s research found that online, socially integrated multiplayer games create greater negative consequences (decreased health, well-being, sleep, socialization and academic work) but also garner far greater positive results (greater enjoyment in playing, increased interest in continuing play and a rise in the acquisition of new friendships) than do single-player games.

I don't know, but the "positive results" don't seem to outweigh the "negative" too much.
"Greater enjoyment in playing": cool, a new hobby.
"Increased intrest in continuing playing": awesome, you obviously enjoy this hobby.
"rise in the aquisition of new friendships": Are these friendships offline or online? It's hard to say. You make loads of online friends, which are nice to have and are always there to talk to. You'll most likely make non-online (in-real-life, or IRL) friends, too. The greater a game's popularity, the more likely you are to run into someone IRL and befriend them... not to mention you'll play the game together afterwards.

How are the factors of decreased health, well-being and socialization measured.

The kind of irony with the online world versus real-life is that they're both forms of socialization--just very, very different. Playing online games is all right, but not if you become a hermit. There's a reason my roommate and her friends had once created WoWoW, the widows of World of Warcraft, after their boyfriends began playing.

This study helps reiterate common sense: moderation in all things.
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ick, my writing is sooooo lackluster. sorry guys.

YFG is recruiting

Your Family Games is RECRUITING!

YFG is recruiting! We're looking for writers to help write reviews, previews, news and articles about videogame culture. All you need is a passion for games.

To join please e-mail:
yourfamilygames -at- gmail -dot- com

Read the simple FAQ below to find out more about YFG!

Btw, WTF is YFG?
YFG is an online resource for parents to learn about their child's hobby of videogames. YFG promotes a health understanding of videogames with the goal of helping games from being misunderstood in the public eye and being bashed as brainless, overly-violent filth (because nothing could be farther from the truth).

Okay. What will I have to do?
Writing for YFG is a very minimal commitment. You could easily write for YFG and never ever ever have to meet me in real life. Just contribute what you can, when you can.

So.... do I get paid?
Aside from my undying appreciation for your hard work, no. Sorry.

Do I get free games for writing reviews?
Nope. I wouldn't be able to go to college if that were the case. Just use games from your personal collection (or a friends! :D).

Are you looking for a specific type of writer?
No. You just need to have an interest and appreciation for games. We need reviews for current generation and past generation systems. We could especially use some PC, Xbox, Xbox 360, PSP, and PS3 reviewers though. Any web designing help would also be very welcome.

Parents in a tizzy about Wii Zapper

Word of the Wii Zapper has been on the Internet for a while, the the mainstream media is just now picking up on the peripheral. Some responses, like the one in New Jersey's The Star Ledger's Parental Guidance blog, are not positive.

Great, this is what we need. Children with guns learning how to aim and shoot. Then we can sit back and wonder what is happening to our country with kids killing kids......what's next? Could we make it squirt blood, too" one reader commented

A "very concerned grandparent" wrote:
"....Why don't they enclose an application to the NRA in every box as well....the marketing person who came up with this brain child of an idea should be fired."

Another reader commented, "I think it's irresponsible for Wii to come out with a controller that looks like a gun so kids can play games simulating shooting. What kind of message are we sending as parents when we buy these things for our kids?"

According to these comments, I should be a gun-toting hillbilly, sitting in my creaky rocking chair with a toothless smile as I scare off squirrels from picking up the trash on my lawn. All because I played with this as a kid:



This is one of my most cherished videogame memories from when I was little--the NES Zapper to be used with Duck Hunt, a simulation of a duck-hunting excursion. We'd all crowd around the neighbor's NES and play Duck Hunt for 30-60 minutes and then go back to playing outside and drinking Aldi's brand Kool-Aid. If you mention Duck Hunt among the crowd who had an NES as a kid, the response is always: "Duck Hunt? Holy crap, I loved that game!"

And let's not forget about the gun accessories that have been in arcades for at least a decade (I can't speak accurately for before then). Ever seen the gun that comes with Time Crisis? Now that's a firearm to get all up in arms about.

The Zapper gun idea has been around since 1985. It's nothing new and it's nothing harmful.

Now if you don't mind, there are some squirrels that need some taking care of.