4/14/2006
Parents, it’s your job to monitor video games
We tend not to get overly excited over a federal judge’s ruling that a Michigan law barring retailers from selling or renting violent video games to minors is unconstitutional. When it comes to: a) necessary laws that are intended to protect the young vs. b) a parent being responsible for a child’s welfare, this issue clearly belongs in the “b” category.The young clearly need to be protected from drugs, pornography, alcohol, exploitation and the like, and our police and courts must be a major player in all of this.But we’re not certain violent video games, though offensive and distasteful, fall within this same range.This smacks a little of society once again stepping up to the plate, taking the role as parent because the biological beings that are supposed to be fulfilling those roles are simply failing in their duties.The courts have painted this as a free speech issue, and we suppose, constitutionally, it makes sense, We’d prefer it instead be a parental responsibility issue, and parents accepting the challenge of deciding what their children do and don’t see.Prior to leaving their children with a new sitter, parents should check on the responsibility of that person. We would think the same would be done with the video games many use to occupy a child’s time.Also, it’s time businesses that sell and rent these games step up to the plate. There’s no law that says they have to stock or provide every game that’s ever made. They don’t have to rent or sell each and every game any more than every grocery story has to sell every disgusting porn magazine that rolls off the printing press.This is a problem that needs to be addressed, but getting the courts and police involved is too much of a stretch.Their involvement will be needed with these gamesters decide to “play” in real life.
Violent games make men paranoid potheads
Inquirer - Harrow,Middlesex,UKTWO boffins claim that violent video games make you paranoid and more likely to indulge in booze and suffer from reefer madness. ...
Inquirer - Harrow,Middlesex,UKTWO boffins claim that violent video games make you paranoid and more likely to indulge in booze and suffer from reefer madness. ...
Video Games making you Thirsty?
Vancouver Sun (subscription) - Vancouver,British Columbia,CanadaAdvertising has been creeping into videogames in the past few years as virtual billboards that hawk real-world products like soft drinks and computer gear. ...
Vancouver Sun (subscription) - Vancouver,British Columbia,CanadaAdvertising has been creeping into videogames in the past few years as virtual billboards that hawk real-world products like soft drinks and computer gear. ...
Battlestar Galactica creator eyes future games
Ars Technica - Boston,MA,USAVideo games and Hollywood have a long history together. From the days of the Commodore 64 and Cinemaware there has been an uneasy ...
Ars Technica - Boston,MA,USAVideo games and Hollywood have a long history together. From the days of the Commodore 64 and Cinemaware there has been an uneasy ...
Insert coin to continue
The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia... gaming fix at a local amusement arcade with a pocketful of change.Earning the right to put your initials on the high-score table of coin-operated games such as ...
The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia... gaming fix at a local amusement arcade with a pocketful of change.Earning the right to put your initials on the high-score table of coin-operated games such as ...
Microsoft sponsors world cyber games to '08
SEOUL, April 13 (UPI) -- Microsoft will be sponsoring the World Cyber Games through to 2008.
The games showcase some of the most cutting-edges video games in the industry, in addition to being the ground for gamers to flaunt their skills.
The software giant's patronage will include sponsoring all games, including three pan-regional championships, the Korean championship, the U.S. championship and the grand finals to be held in Monza, Italy.
Under the terms of the deal Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 will be the exclusive gaming platforms for the computers and consoles to be used.
"Microsoft's support for the WCG further validates the growing global popularity of e-sports. Having Microsoft as a partner reinforces the WCG's position as a pioneer of competitive gaming and as the premier event in global e-sports," Hank Jeong, chief executive of International Cyber Marketing, said in a news release.
The games showcase some of the most cutting-edges video games in the industry, in addition to being the ground for gamers to flaunt their skills.
The software giant's patronage will include sponsoring all games, including three pan-regional championships, the Korean championship, the U.S. championship and the grand finals to be held in Monza, Italy.
Under the terms of the deal Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 will be the exclusive gaming platforms for the computers and consoles to be used.
"Microsoft's support for the WCG further validates the growing global popularity of e-sports. Having Microsoft as a partner reinforces the WCG's position as a pioneer of competitive gaming and as the premier event in global e-sports," Hank Jeong, chief executive of International Cyber Marketing, said in a news release.
Deputies Seize Poker Machines, Cash
PokerMag.com - USACleveland County authorities seized more than $300,000 in cash and three video poker machines during a bust Friday at the Prospect Country Store. ...
PokerMag.com - USACleveland County authorities seized more than $300,000 in cash and three video poker machines during a bust Friday at the Prospect Country Store. ...
Japanese Police Agency Investigates Video Games
Gamasutra - San Francisco,CA,USAIt seems as if the US isn't the only place where video games have come under investigation by political bodies and activist groups. ...
Gamasutra - San Francisco,CA,USAIt seems as if the US isn't the only place where video games have come under investigation by political bodies and activist groups. ...
Crecente: Game blends art of war, '70s pinball
Rocky Mountain News - Denver,CO,USAI'd wager that Odama is the only game that will ever fall into the "pinball military strategy" genre. Yet that's what game developer ...
Rocky Mountain News - Denver,CO,USAI'd wager that Odama is the only game that will ever fall into the "pinball military strategy" genre. Yet that's what game developer ...
Namco Museum 50th Anniversary review
Boomtown - Copenhagen,Denmark... The best complement to give these early arcade games is to their immediacy. ... One of the first arcade games I remember playing and elegant in its simplicity. ...
Boomtown - Copenhagen,Denmark... The best complement to give these early arcade games is to their immediacy. ... One of the first arcade games I remember playing and elegant in its simplicity. ...
Move, baby, move … healthy kick in video games
Brownian motion … Jacky Wang, 8, and Daniele Cullura, 11, tackle some of the demonstration games on offer at the Royal Easter Show yesterday.Photo: Ben Rushton
By Julie Robotham, Medical EditorApril 15, 2006
PLAYING video games can give boys a physical workout that raises their blood pressure and heart rate and burns as many calories as brisk walking or cycling, US researchers say.
The discovery meant computer gaming - often said to contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic - should no longer be classified as a sedentary pastime, and might even help fight fat, said Arlette Perry, of the University of Miami's exercise and sports sciences department.
In her study - the first on how the bodies of primary school-aged children respond to game play - 21 boys were hooked up to monitors while they played Tekken 3, a mock martial arts contest, on a Sony PlayStation.
Dr Perry told the boys, all avid video gamers aged between seven and 10, that they were competing. The boys' heart rates sped up, they burned up more energy and they began breathing more quickly, although Dr Perry, an exercise physiologist, said the latter was more likely to be from excitement than exertion.
If children opted out of sport in order to spend time playing video games, that might contribute to weight gain, but "if … used to replace time spent watching television or simply resting, video game play can serve to more positively affect energy expenditure", Dr Perry wrote in the journal Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. "Video game play is not a passive activity in young children."
Computer and video games are among the most popular leisure activities among Australian children, after watching television and reading.
In an Australian Bureau of Statistics survey in 2003, 82 per cent of boys and 59 per cent of girls said they played them. Boys were heavier users - 46 per cent devoted at least 10 hours a week to them, compared with 23 per cent of girls.
But Dr Perry cautioned that gaming could not be a substitute for traditional exercise. It had little effect on children's glucose and lactate levels - important for protecting against heart disease - possibly because it did not involve much muscle movement.
Michael Booth, a pediatrician and director of the NSW Centre for Overweight and Obesity, criticised Dr Perry's study, saying the children might have been particularly overexcited and fidgety from playing a new game in unfamiliar surroundings, and this might explain their apparent exertion.
The Miami researchers should also have studied the boys in other nominally inactive pastimes to draw more reliable conclusions, he said. "Little boys are Brownian motion. They can't sit still," Dr Booth said.
Marilyn Cullura has no games console in the house. "I'd rather he was out playing with a football," said the Drummoyne mother of her son Daniele.
As Daniele, 11, played with a Microsoft Xbox at the Royal Easter Show yesterday, Ms Cullura was preparing for renewed pressure to let him join the ranks of home gamers. "If he hears they're not a bad thing there'll be trouble," she said.
By Julie Robotham, Medical EditorApril 15, 2006
PLAYING video games can give boys a physical workout that raises their blood pressure and heart rate and burns as many calories as brisk walking or cycling, US researchers say.
The discovery meant computer gaming - often said to contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic - should no longer be classified as a sedentary pastime, and might even help fight fat, said Arlette Perry, of the University of Miami's exercise and sports sciences department.
In her study - the first on how the bodies of primary school-aged children respond to game play - 21 boys were hooked up to monitors while they played Tekken 3, a mock martial arts contest, on a Sony PlayStation.
Dr Perry told the boys, all avid video gamers aged between seven and 10, that they were competing. The boys' heart rates sped up, they burned up more energy and they began breathing more quickly, although Dr Perry, an exercise physiologist, said the latter was more likely to be from excitement than exertion.
If children opted out of sport in order to spend time playing video games, that might contribute to weight gain, but "if … used to replace time spent watching television or simply resting, video game play can serve to more positively affect energy expenditure", Dr Perry wrote in the journal Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. "Video game play is not a passive activity in young children."
Computer and video games are among the most popular leisure activities among Australian children, after watching television and reading.
In an Australian Bureau of Statistics survey in 2003, 82 per cent of boys and 59 per cent of girls said they played them. Boys were heavier users - 46 per cent devoted at least 10 hours a week to them, compared with 23 per cent of girls.
But Dr Perry cautioned that gaming could not be a substitute for traditional exercise. It had little effect on children's glucose and lactate levels - important for protecting against heart disease - possibly because it did not involve much muscle movement.
Michael Booth, a pediatrician and director of the NSW Centre for Overweight and Obesity, criticised Dr Perry's study, saying the children might have been particularly overexcited and fidgety from playing a new game in unfamiliar surroundings, and this might explain their apparent exertion.
The Miami researchers should also have studied the boys in other nominally inactive pastimes to draw more reliable conclusions, he said. "Little boys are Brownian motion. They can't sit still," Dr Booth said.
Marilyn Cullura has no games console in the house. "I'd rather he was out playing with a football," said the Drummoyne mother of her son Daniele.
As Daniele, 11, played with a Microsoft Xbox at the Royal Easter Show yesterday, Ms Cullura was preparing for renewed pressure to let him join the ranks of home gamers. "If he hears they're not a bad thing there'll be trouble," she said.
4/11/2006
GLOBAL VR TO DEVELOP NASCAR RACER
(posted Tuesday, March 14, 2006 -- 3:30PM)
Video game maker Global VR has signed an exclusive agreement with consumer giant Electronic Arts to develop and manufacture a coin-operated video game based on EA's popular NASCAR racing game.
With the new NASCAR game, players will select from today's most popular drivers, including Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, drive in official cars and select tracks such as Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Daytona. Perhaps the most important new element will be the use of cutting edge technology in the game's development, says Global VR. State-of-the-art graphics, AI and physics engines promise to deliver a racing experience that could only be replicated in the cockpit of an official NASCAR vehicle.
"As a multi-platinum hit on the home consoles, this franchise has tremendous significance for EA and now for Global VR," said Jim DeRose, Global VR Chairman and CEO. "We have assembled a team of developers who are avid gamers as well as NASCAR fanatics and we plan to deliver a ground breaking racing experience for fans of racing and driving games."
"We believe the coin-op NASCAR game will deliver a unique gaming experience and will bring the excitement of NASCAR gaming to a whole new audience," said Jon Dean, EA's NASCAR Executive Producer.
NASCAR is the number one spectator sport holding 17 of the top 20 attended sporting events in the U.S. It is also the number two rated regular-season sport on television with broadcasts in over 150 countries, and has 75 million fans who purchase over $2 billion in annual licensed product sales.
Video game maker Global VR has signed an exclusive agreement with consumer giant Electronic Arts to develop and manufacture a coin-operated video game based on EA's popular NASCAR racing game.
With the new NASCAR game, players will select from today's most popular drivers, including Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, drive in official cars and select tracks such as Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Daytona. Perhaps the most important new element will be the use of cutting edge technology in the game's development, says Global VR. State-of-the-art graphics, AI and physics engines promise to deliver a racing experience that could only be replicated in the cockpit of an official NASCAR vehicle.
"As a multi-platinum hit on the home consoles, this franchise has tremendous significance for EA and now for Global VR," said Jim DeRose, Global VR Chairman and CEO. "We have assembled a team of developers who are avid gamers as well as NASCAR fanatics and we plan to deliver a ground breaking racing experience for fans of racing and driving games."
"We believe the coin-op NASCAR game will deliver a unique gaming experience and will bring the excitement of NASCAR gaming to a whole new audience," said Jon Dean, EA's NASCAR Executive Producer.
NASCAR is the number one spectator sport holding 17 of the top 20 attended sporting events in the U.S. It is also the number two rated regular-season sport on television with broadcasts in over 150 countries, and has 75 million fans who purchase over $2 billion in annual licensed product sales.
PUMP IT UP TOURNEY HELD AT MALL OF AMERICA
(posted Thursday, April 6, 2006 -- 11AM)
For the second year in a row, the Pump-It-Up Championship Series dance competition took place in Bloomington, MN, on March 25, 2006. Held onstage at The Park in the heart of Mall of America, a crowd of hundreds witnessed dozens of contestants from eight states competing for a share of the $1,200 cash purse and exclusive Pump merchandise. Using Andamiro's Pump-It-Up: ZERO, the newly-released and only officially designated version of the PCS, the showdown on the popular dance game rejuvenated players throughout the region with excitement and extra incentive to train further for future tournaments, including the World Pump Festival (WPF) to be held later this year in Seoul, Korea.
The PCS will continue its main event tour across the nation with the next event in June at a soon-to-be announced location. Winners from each of the main events will be pre-qualified for the U.S. National Competition currently scheduled for September 2006. After winning the national title, the new U.S. champions will receive all-expense paid trips to represent the United States at the World Championships at the WPF this November. For more information on the PCS and WPF, visit www.piugame.com.
For the second year in a row, the Pump-It-Up Championship Series dance competition took place in Bloomington, MN, on March 25, 2006. Held onstage at The Park in the heart of Mall of America, a crowd of hundreds witnessed dozens of contestants from eight states competing for a share of the $1,200 cash purse and exclusive Pump merchandise. Using Andamiro's Pump-It-Up: ZERO, the newly-released and only officially designated version of the PCS, the showdown on the popular dance game rejuvenated players throughout the region with excitement and extra incentive to train further for future tournaments, including the World Pump Festival (WPF) to be held later this year in Seoul, Korea.
The PCS will continue its main event tour across the nation with the next event in June at a soon-to-be announced location. Winners from each of the main events will be pre-qualified for the U.S. National Competition currently scheduled for September 2006. After winning the national title, the new U.S. champions will receive all-expense paid trips to represent the United States at the World Championships at the WPF this November. For more information on the PCS and WPF, visit www.piugame.com.
Guinness World Records to publish pinball scores
Walter Day sent a note about a very special event. “I am sorry that this news is being released so close to the actual contest dates, with little advance notice, but the approval of this event from the Guinness side took sometime for clearance. Those of you who can come will have their shot at being among the first players to ever appear in the Guinness World Records Book for pinball.”
Here’s more information:
For the first time in its 52-year history, Guinness World Records(tm) will be publishing pinball scores. As part of a partnership with the Twin Galaxies Intergalactic Scoreboard, the world authority on electronic gaming records, the Guinness World Records 2007(tm) Book will include a table of pinball high scores on 10 different games, researched and verified by Walter Day of Twin Galaxies.
The Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame, opened in February, 2006 to commemorate the history of pinball, will be the official site of the event. Organized by Tim Arnold and other members of the Las Vegas Pinball Collector's Club, the Pinball Hall of Fame enjoys a non-profit charter and is the world's only museum created solely to document the history of Pinball.
To bring organization to the process of gathering scores in time for the May 1st publishing deadline of the Guinness World Records 2007(tm) Book, Twin Galaxies has resurrected its most famous contest: the Video Game & Pinball Masters Tournament, which hasn't been conducted since 1997. This year's edition of the contest -- as well as the 1997 Video Game & Pinball Masters Tournament -- are both descended from the original contest that Twin Galaxies created in the 1980s to gather scores for the U.S. edition of the record book, which was then called the Guinness Book of World Records. The editors at Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., publishers of the U.S. edition at that time, designated Walter Day an Assistant Editor, and put him in charge of verifying all video game records for the annual volume.
To facilitate the process of supplying Sterling Publishing with verified high scores, Twin Galaxies created the Video Game Masters Tournament, which was conducted on more than 100 video game titles in dozens of locations throughout North America. The results were published in the 1984-1987 U.S. editions of the Guinness Book of World Records. Today, to continue the tradition of supplying world records to the Guinness World Records Book, this modern incarnation of the contest will focus mostly on pinball with some video game titles thrown in.
To see the poster for the event and to watch for news updates, go to: (www.twingalaxies.com).
Here’s more information:
For the first time in its 52-year history, Guinness World Records(tm) will be publishing pinball scores. As part of a partnership with the Twin Galaxies Intergalactic Scoreboard, the world authority on electronic gaming records, the Guinness World Records 2007(tm) Book will include a table of pinball high scores on 10 different games, researched and verified by Walter Day of Twin Galaxies.
The Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame, opened in February, 2006 to commemorate the history of pinball, will be the official site of the event. Organized by Tim Arnold and other members of the Las Vegas Pinball Collector's Club, the Pinball Hall of Fame enjoys a non-profit charter and is the world's only museum created solely to document the history of Pinball.
To bring organization to the process of gathering scores in time for the May 1st publishing deadline of the Guinness World Records 2007(tm) Book, Twin Galaxies has resurrected its most famous contest: the Video Game & Pinball Masters Tournament, which hasn't been conducted since 1997. This year's edition of the contest -- as well as the 1997 Video Game & Pinball Masters Tournament -- are both descended from the original contest that Twin Galaxies created in the 1980s to gather scores for the U.S. edition of the record book, which was then called the Guinness Book of World Records. The editors at Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., publishers of the U.S. edition at that time, designated Walter Day an Assistant Editor, and put him in charge of verifying all video game records for the annual volume.
To facilitate the process of supplying Sterling Publishing with verified high scores, Twin Galaxies created the Video Game Masters Tournament, which was conducted on more than 100 video game titles in dozens of locations throughout North America. The results were published in the 1984-1987 U.S. editions of the Guinness Book of World Records. Today, to continue the tradition of supplying world records to the Guinness World Records Book, this modern incarnation of the contest will focus mostly on pinball with some video game titles thrown in.
To see the poster for the event and to watch for news updates, go to: (www.twingalaxies.com).
The Simpsons movie coming to theaters near you
A feature film based on the hit television series "The Simpsons" will premiere in theaters worldwide July 27. Starring in the animated film are series regulars Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Pamela Hayden, and Tress MacNeille. Guest starring in the movie are Erin Brockovich, Minnie Driver, and Albert Brooks. Producing the feature are "The Simpsons" series executive producer James Brooks, creator Matt Groening, current showrunner Al Jean, Mike Scully, and Richard Sakai.The film's debut is bound to create interest in anything related to the Simpsons clan, especially products from Stern Pinball such as the new redemption game The Simpsons Kooky Carnival and The Simpsons Pinball Party pinball game. For more information about Stern's Simpson'-themed games, check with local distributors or call (800)966-9873; Web (www.pinballmachines4sale.com). "The Simpsons" is the longest-running comedy series in the history of television.
Golden Tee LIVE kits now available
Incredible Technologies (IT) has made its popular Golden Tee LIVE game available in a version suitable for any location. Until now LIVE has been available only as a Deluxe Dedicated Cabinet and a Deluxe Retrofit Kit for existing Golden Tee Fore! cabinets. Now IT has expanded the LIVE line to include both online and offline kits. The Deluxe Dedicated Cabinet is the top-of-the-line model and features two monitors, a padded control panel, and secure coin vault. The Deluxe Retrofit Kit incorporates the dedicated cabinet's dual-monitor design into an easy-to-install kit for existing Golden Tee Fore! cabinets. Both deluxe versions offer wireless online play.The new Standard Online Kit can be installed into nearly any upright video cabinet. The kit works with any type of CRT monitor, although a high-resolution VGA monitor is recommended. The Standard Online kit does not require a second monitor, yet still offers all of the LIVE online features including Prize Play where allowed. The Standard Online Kit comes complete with a marquee and side panel and control panel graphics. A ready-to-go control panel is also available for kitting into an existing Golden Tee Fore! cabinet. Rounding out the product line is the Basic Offline Kit, which does not include a wireless modem, card reader, or other items necessary for online play, and offers only three 18-hole courses. This inexpensive kit is ideal for locations where Prize Play is prohibited or for those unable to support a Deluxe Dedicated Cabinet or Retrofit Kit. According to Don Pesceone, IT's Senior Vice President of Sales, these new kits are the result of feedback from operators around the country. "We listen to our customers," he said. "We understand that a dedicated game may be too expensive for some locations. Now you can offer Golden Tee LIVE to all your stops." Call The Game Gallery to orders yours today 1-800-966-9873
Video game making you thirsty?
CBC News - CanadaNEW YORK (AP) - Advertising has been creeping into video games in the past few years as virtual billboards that hawk real-world products like soft drinks and ...
See all stories on this topic
CBC News - CanadaNEW YORK (AP) - Advertising has been creeping into video games in the past few years as virtual billboards that hawk real-world products like soft drinks and ...
See all stories on this topic
The French Collection
Mention the words "pinball" and "museum" in the same sentence and your thoughts might turn to Tim Arnold's Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas (which Pinball News will be visiting shortly for a full report).
But the city in the desert is now joined as home to a superb collection of classic pinball games by Paris. http://pinballnews.com/news/museum2.html
ROCHESTER GAMEROOM SHOW
The first Rochester Gameroom Show takes place in the Minett Hall. Brian Spindler is our guide to the 170 pinball machines and 60 arcade games.
http://pinballnews.com/shows/rochester2006/index.html
The first annual Rochester Game Room Show came together after months of planning by the members of the Western New York Pinball & Arcade Group and American Sports Media. On move-in day the excitement was building as the first vendors and pinball machines showed up.
4/10/2006
Partnership to Bring WizKids Licenses to Video Games!
Yahoo! News (press release) - USA... representing intellectual property, game developers and game-services companies to the interactive entertainment industry, with a primary focus on video games. ...
Yahoo! News (press release) - USA... representing intellectual property, game developers and game-services companies to the interactive entertainment industry, with a primary focus on video games. ...
Metal Slug Collection
Gamespy.com - Irvine,CA,USA... by Terminal Reality in Texas, Metal Slug Collection will feature (presumably) arcade-perfect emulations of six of the seven Metal Slug arcade games: Metal Slug ...
Gamespy.com - Irvine,CA,USA... by Terminal Reality in Texas, Metal Slug Collection will feature (presumably) arcade-perfect emulations of six of the seven Metal Slug arcade games: Metal Slug ...
Parents, it’s your job to monitor video games
We tend not to get overly excited over a federal judge’s ruling that a Michigan law barring retailers from selling or renting violent video games to minors is unconstitutional. When it comes to: a) necessary laws that are intended to protect the young vs. b) a parent being responsible for a child’s welfare, this issue clearly belongs in the “b” category.The young clearly need to be protected from drugs, pornography, alcohol, exploitation and the like, and our police and courts must be a major player in all of this.But we’re not certain violent video games, though offensive and distasteful, fall within this same range.This smacks a little of society once again stepping up to the plate, taking the role as parent because the biological beings that are supposed to be fulfilling those roles are simply failing in their duties.The courts have painted this as a free speech issue, and we suppose, constitutionally, it makes sense, We’d prefer it instead be a parental responsibility issue, and parents accepting the challenge of deciding what their children do and don’t see.Prior to leaving their children with a new sitter, parents should check on the responsibility of that person. We would think the same would be done with the video games many use to occupy a child’s time.Also, it’s time businesses that sell and rent these games step up to the plate. There’s no law that says they have to stock or provide every game that’s ever made. They don’t have to rent or sell each and every game any more than every grocery story has to sell every disgusting porn magazine that rolls off the printing press.This is a problem that needs to be addressed, but getting the courts and police involved is too much of a stretch.Their involvement will be needed with these gamesters decide to “play” in real life.
GIRL GAMERS:
More women are glued to video games, from playing to developing
April 8, 2006
BY HEATHER NEWMAN
FREE PRESS GAME WRITER
Jennifer Mirisciotti, 24, of Eastpointe and her pink Xbox. (MANDI WRIGHT/DFP)
Related articles:
How to get started in video gaming
Thinking about jumping into this whole gaming thing? Here are some places to start.
• If you'd like to fool around with some casual games (puzzles, card games and simple games that are easy to pick up and put down), consider http://www.pogo.com/, which has a huge variety and 60% female players.
• If you want to see gameplay videos from games in all genres, check out http://www.gametrailers.com/.
• If you want to chat with other female gamers, check out http://www.womengamers.com/, http://www.gamegoddesses.com/, http://www.gamegirladvance.com/, http://www.grrlgamer.com/, http://www.gamegirlz.com/, the Webring for women who play video games (http://rinoa.nu/gamegirl) and the PMS Clan (http://www.pmsclan.com/).
• If you want to meet women in the biz, try Women in Games International (http://www.womeningamesinternational.org/) or the International Game Developers Association women in game development page (www.igda.org/women) for advice on getting started, information about conferences and scholarships and forums where female game developers gather.
Heather Newman
Girl gamers
Cheri Lynne VandenHeuvel, 36, Detroit (working for six months in Montgomery, Ala.): "My husband and I actually had a fight after we got married because he went out and bought an Xbox before we got our wedding pictures. Well, I came down with a really bad cold and I was stuck on the couch. He stuck an Xbox controller in my hand. I was in the same spot, playing furiously, when he got home five hours later.
Yvonne Cameron, 51, Livonia: "My kids and I engage in puzzle-type games, as well as 'Smash Bros.,' as a way of winding down. I find them more likely to let me know what's on their minds or going on in their lives while we play together."
Patti Hogarty, 41, Center Line: "A couple times a year after a real stressful job is concluded, I hunker down with a good game for a couple weeks as a stress reliever. Then, I play about 6 hours a day or more."
Jennifer Mirisciotti -- and her custom-painted pink-and-white Xbox -- represents the growing number of women who are hard-core gamers.
"I'm not a big fan of the color pink," said Mirisciotti, 24, of Eastpointe. "But when I kick some guy's butt, it hurts their ego even more to get their butt kicked by a chick with a pink Xbox!"
Women make up 43% of all video game players, according to the 2005 survey by the Entertainment Software Association. That's up from 38% in a similar survey in 2003. Though women aren't quite yet the majority among game players, they're involved in 55% of all game-buying decisions, according to the association of the video game makers.
Local gamers say that women have come a long, long way.
"I have found that 90% of the women I play against/with are better than average players or downright awesome," said Lora Day, 40, of Melvindale, aka "Daygirl."
You probably wouldn't want to take on 15-year-old Tanisha Walton of Detroit in football. She commonly cleans the clocks of many guys in "Madden NFL."
Not too surprising, considering that both her mother and her younger sister also play.
"People are very surprised to hear I'm a gamer. And the reason is because I'm a young lady," Tanisha said. "I guess people think women are only on this earth to cook, clean, shop, talk on the phone and talk to guys. I'm sorry to say it, but women are taking over some things now."
There are also a surprising number of women who play after having picked up a controller or mouse later in life when they saw others enjoying it.
"I've been playing since my granddaughters got a PlayStation for Christmas one year," said Gayle Rogers, 63, of Saline. "They had a bowling game that we all enjoyed, and that hooked me into getting my own system. I play mostly the 'Everyone' type of game, like 'Spyro,' 'Ape Escape' and so on."
But with hard-core games -- titles where you shell out big bucks as opposed to those oh-so-addictive casual games on Web sites or Xbox Live Arcade -- the number of female players drops to about 1 in 5.
Industry women
Critics say the men's club of developers in these games sometimes leads to demeaning portraits of women. Frequently women are portrayed as sex objects, like the buxom babes who crawl all over the heroes in most action games. Or they're immoral targets of violence, like the prostitutes you can beat up for cash in "Grand Theft Auto."
Violence specifically portrayed against women, patronizing "pink" video games marketed just for girls and other gaming faux pas tend to drive women away.
Still, the percentage of women in the industry is growing rapidly, with analysts agreeing that gaming companies are working to increase their gender diversity.
The number of women in the industry has risen from 5% to 11.5% in the last few years, according to the International Game Developers Association. The majority are employed in marketing, operations and human resources, not game development.
"The momentum is really picking up," said Sheri Graner Ray, industry veteran and author of "Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding the Market."
"I feel like there's hope now," she said. "I wasn't feeling that way a few years ago."
The urge strikes
Lauren Taube, 15, of Brighton started playing young, and now she's captivated by gaming.
"Last year, I had to give a persuasive speech in my English class," she said. "Can you guess what I did it on? Yeah, that's right: video games."
Many of the female gamers interviewed said they liked the chat, interaction and competition they got from playing games against folks online.
The reception from opponents who find out on voice chat that they're playing against women is generally good, the female players said, though the guys are often surprised.
"I really don't notice much of any difference playing with girls or guys online," said Zack Rovinsky, 17, of Birmingham. "They play just as hard, talk just as much trash and get just as ticked when they loose. The only difference is that every guy in the game feels the need to ask if she's really a girl."
Ruth Songer, 54, of Dryden said gaming is her dirty little secret.
"It all started out so harmlessly about eight years ago," she said. "I saw a young man playing a demo game in a store." Her husband "thought I was crazy but bought me a PlayStation for Christmas that year.
"Initially, I would go to stores and pretend to be purchasing games for our son. We have no son. Eventually, I just dropped the pretense, and now I complain loudly to the store clerk about how often game release dates are set back
April 8, 2006
BY HEATHER NEWMAN
FREE PRESS GAME WRITER
Jennifer Mirisciotti, 24, of Eastpointe and her pink Xbox. (MANDI WRIGHT/DFP)
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How to get started in video gaming
Thinking about jumping into this whole gaming thing? Here are some places to start.
• If you'd like to fool around with some casual games (puzzles, card games and simple games that are easy to pick up and put down), consider http://www.pogo.com/, which has a huge variety and 60% female players.
• If you want to see gameplay videos from games in all genres, check out http://www.gametrailers.com/.
• If you want to chat with other female gamers, check out http://www.womengamers.com/, http://www.gamegoddesses.com/, http://www.gamegirladvance.com/, http://www.grrlgamer.com/, http://www.gamegirlz.com/, the Webring for women who play video games (http://rinoa.nu/gamegirl) and the PMS Clan (http://www.pmsclan.com/).
• If you want to meet women in the biz, try Women in Games International (http://www.womeningamesinternational.org/) or the International Game Developers Association women in game development page (www.igda.org/women) for advice on getting started, information about conferences and scholarships and forums where female game developers gather.
Heather Newman
Girl gamers
Cheri Lynne VandenHeuvel, 36, Detroit (working for six months in Montgomery, Ala.): "My husband and I actually had a fight after we got married because he went out and bought an Xbox before we got our wedding pictures. Well, I came down with a really bad cold and I was stuck on the couch. He stuck an Xbox controller in my hand. I was in the same spot, playing furiously, when he got home five hours later.
Yvonne Cameron, 51, Livonia: "My kids and I engage in puzzle-type games, as well as 'Smash Bros.,' as a way of winding down. I find them more likely to let me know what's on their minds or going on in their lives while we play together."
Patti Hogarty, 41, Center Line: "A couple times a year after a real stressful job is concluded, I hunker down with a good game for a couple weeks as a stress reliever. Then, I play about 6 hours a day or more."
Jennifer Mirisciotti -- and her custom-painted pink-and-white Xbox -- represents the growing number of women who are hard-core gamers.
"I'm not a big fan of the color pink," said Mirisciotti, 24, of Eastpointe. "But when I kick some guy's butt, it hurts their ego even more to get their butt kicked by a chick with a pink Xbox!"
Women make up 43% of all video game players, according to the 2005 survey by the Entertainment Software Association. That's up from 38% in a similar survey in 2003. Though women aren't quite yet the majority among game players, they're involved in 55% of all game-buying decisions, according to the association of the video game makers.
Local gamers say that women have come a long, long way.
"I have found that 90% of the women I play against/with are better than average players or downright awesome," said Lora Day, 40, of Melvindale, aka "Daygirl."
You probably wouldn't want to take on 15-year-old Tanisha Walton of Detroit in football. She commonly cleans the clocks of many guys in "Madden NFL."
Not too surprising, considering that both her mother and her younger sister also play.
"People are very surprised to hear I'm a gamer. And the reason is because I'm a young lady," Tanisha said. "I guess people think women are only on this earth to cook, clean, shop, talk on the phone and talk to guys. I'm sorry to say it, but women are taking over some things now."
There are also a surprising number of women who play after having picked up a controller or mouse later in life when they saw others enjoying it.
"I've been playing since my granddaughters got a PlayStation for Christmas one year," said Gayle Rogers, 63, of Saline. "They had a bowling game that we all enjoyed, and that hooked me into getting my own system. I play mostly the 'Everyone' type of game, like 'Spyro,' 'Ape Escape' and so on."
But with hard-core games -- titles where you shell out big bucks as opposed to those oh-so-addictive casual games on Web sites or Xbox Live Arcade -- the number of female players drops to about 1 in 5.
Industry women
Critics say the men's club of developers in these games sometimes leads to demeaning portraits of women. Frequently women are portrayed as sex objects, like the buxom babes who crawl all over the heroes in most action games. Or they're immoral targets of violence, like the prostitutes you can beat up for cash in "Grand Theft Auto."
Violence specifically portrayed against women, patronizing "pink" video games marketed just for girls and other gaming faux pas tend to drive women away.
Still, the percentage of women in the industry is growing rapidly, with analysts agreeing that gaming companies are working to increase their gender diversity.
The number of women in the industry has risen from 5% to 11.5% in the last few years, according to the International Game Developers Association. The majority are employed in marketing, operations and human resources, not game development.
"The momentum is really picking up," said Sheri Graner Ray, industry veteran and author of "Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding the Market."
"I feel like there's hope now," she said. "I wasn't feeling that way a few years ago."
The urge strikes
Lauren Taube, 15, of Brighton started playing young, and now she's captivated by gaming.
"Last year, I had to give a persuasive speech in my English class," she said. "Can you guess what I did it on? Yeah, that's right: video games."
Many of the female gamers interviewed said they liked the chat, interaction and competition they got from playing games against folks online.
The reception from opponents who find out on voice chat that they're playing against women is generally good, the female players said, though the guys are often surprised.
"I really don't notice much of any difference playing with girls or guys online," said Zack Rovinsky, 17, of Birmingham. "They play just as hard, talk just as much trash and get just as ticked when they loose. The only difference is that every guy in the game feels the need to ask if she's really a girl."
Ruth Songer, 54, of Dryden said gaming is her dirty little secret.
"It all started out so harmlessly about eight years ago," she said. "I saw a young man playing a demo game in a store." Her husband "thought I was crazy but bought me a PlayStation for Christmas that year.
"Initially, I would go to stores and pretend to be purchasing games for our son. We have no son. Eventually, I just dropped the pretense, and now I complain loudly to the store clerk about how often game release dates are set back
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