Balanced Gaming

Why is play important?

2009-03-16T10:39:38-05:00

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHwXlcHcTHc[/youtube]

Video game addiction - this is getting tired

2009-09-27T13:52:20-05:00

I really feel ready to stop talking about video game addiction - for a small number of people, video gaming gets out of hand. Time magazine has an article discussing the $24,000 treatment center for video game addiction.

My position on video game addiction is pretty easy:

1. yes, some people can get clinically addicted to video games
2. yes, some people can abuse video games (but not be addicted to them)
3. The majority of gamers (in the upper 90%) have healthy, balanced relationships with games.

Are MMO’s fun?

2009-07-01T12:07:58-05:00

from hardcore casual:

Tourist jokes aside (not that the tourist problem is a joke, mind you), I’ve come to this brilliant conclusion: MMOs are just not that fun for most people.

I know, shocking.

With all the time we spend going back and forth on how X game is awesome and your MMO sucks, or how game Y would be so much better with feature Z, the majority of gamers are telling of us ALL our games suck. The whole genre, garbage. And in a way they are right. Why in gods name would I pay $15 a month to complete 100 kill x mob quests when I could do far more interesting tasks in a single player RPG? Why would I grind up an imbalanced character so I can PvP ‘sometimes’ when I can just get a FPS for cheap and have all-access to PvP of all flavors?

PDF copy of blog post here in case of link rot

Games being used in medicine

2009-06-23T08:49:43-05:00

Neat article about doctors using computer games to practice for surgery.

I’ve attached a pdf in case of link rot.

8 percent of gamers addicted

2009-05-30T11:46:59-05:00

Interesting study discussing game addiction I’ve attached a pdf of the web article in case of link rot.

It seems like people who play computer games to escape are the minority who get into trouble.

The fourth type of game - kagfs

2009-04-13T09:59:35-05:00

When I talk about educational games, I usually talk about three types of games (see original blog post here).

Without belaboring it:

COTS -commercial, off the shelf
Edutainment
Serious games

There has been an emergence of a fourth category of game, I’m calling it kick-ass-game-for-schools (kagfs). The qualities of a kagfs include:

1. Very high production value
2. Content-accurate information (like, accurate representation of history, medical information, government structure, etc…)
3. Really good tools for reporting individual student progress to teachers
4. All the stuff that make COTS games good like:

4.1 ...dynamic, adjustable difficulty
4.2 ...easy early goals
4.3 ...play experience invites entrance into Csikszentmihalyi’s idea of “flow”
4.4 ...allows different player types to enjoy the game
4.5 ...is a game a kid would want to play at home (this is kind of my ultimate litmus test for games in education)

I have only seen one instance of a kagfs, at muzzy lane but a recent feed popped up on my rss reader: t.h.e. journal had a piece titled: Researchers Study Effects of Educational Games on Math Achievement by Scott Aronowitz. I think this </b>might</b> be another example of a kagfs link here for dimensionM. But I need to play this game to see.

It looks like there is some snazzy instruction stuff on the front end, and then the kids explore a pretty cool-looking interactive world, applying the math skills they are studying.

The only thing I don’t enjoy: stopping the game while the kid solves a math problem. Update: after playing their demo, I kind of nudge this particular game into the edutainment arena. Gorgeous production values, great tutorial, but zapping all the transmitters that have an even number? That doesn’t quite fit into my kagfs category.

Anyone else see any kagfs?

Less how much, than what and with whom?

2009-03-03T22:01:04-05:00

Several of the topics in this forum seem to focus on the question of whether a child is playing video games too much. For me, as a parent (and a game player and sometimes designer), the more interesting questions tend to be about the content and mechanics of the game and the kinds of interaction it supports.

I’m really interested in cooperative gaming. For example, the board games Pandemic and Shadows over Camelot, in which the players have complementary roles and must work together against the game (or even semi-cooperative games like Terra, where the players compete, but must also ensure that they keep the world running at the same time, or no one can win). Bridge is my favorite card game, because of the partnership dynamic. I like competitive games, too, but cooperative games are really where I get excited.

As a kid, this was the appeal of the arcade game Gauntlet. You could work together with your friends, and even if someone was better at the game than someone else, everyone could benefit.

I’ve been trying to think about video games now that support that kind of play. On the console front, we have a Nintendo GameCube, and two examples of cooperative games, Mario Kart Double Dash (where two players work together in the cart) and one of the Mario Party games (played in teams.) I think the Nintendo DS’s wireless link also allows for some cooperative play if both players have a DS. On the internet, I’ve been active in the mud/mush community for a long time, and played a fair amount of PuzzlePirates, again, because I value the cooperative aspects.

What other computer games are out that that emphasize interesting cooperative play?

EXCELLENT article on game addiction

2009-04-16T07:45:44-05:00

This is the best article I have read about video game addiction. PERIOD.

I’ve included it as a PDF attachment in case the link goes dead. The article is fair, balanced, and presents an excellent look at video game addiction.

Hiding in computer games?

2009-01-06T20:07:43-05:00

Hiding in a computer game? Computer games are a great place to escape. It’s what makes them fun. Quite similar to reading a good book, actually. Although you don’t hear about to many people addicted to books.

The thing is, computer games are hella-fun. It’s also easy to get lost in them. This site is about helping people to find some kind of balance with computer games. It’s an individual thing, that each gamer needs to figure out for themselves.

The WoW torture question

2009-03-03T22:07:58-05:00

I’m referring here to this BoingBoing thread from late 2008. And maybe Clive Thompson’s response in Wired.

Is it a good idea to provide virtual rewards for playing out simulated acts like these? Is it okay because it’s a violent game anyway? Is it ok because it’s an NPC? Would it be better if doing so led to the character’s inevitable degradation from virtual humanity?

Discuss. :)