Kotaku: Children

Child Left in GameStop Leads to Neglect Arrest

Mike Fahey — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:30:00 EST

Attention parents of the world: GameStop is not a babysitting service. That fact was made abundantly clear to 21-year-old Kethia Dagrin-Francois of Florida when police arrested her for child neglect after her five-year-old son was found wandering the parking lot of Boyton Mall. More »

Scientists Want to Use Video Games to Help Kids' Eyes

Mike Fahey — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST

When I was a small child my parents would warn me that spending all day in front of the television playing video games would ruin my eyesight. Today researchers at the University of Tennessee Space Institute in Tullahoma have integrated computer games into a device that could be instrumental in saving a child's eyesight. More »

Police Say Christmas Gaming Drove Woman to Attack Children with Butcher Knife

Mike Fahey — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST

Allegedly enraged over her five-year-old son's playing of a video game he received as a Christmas gift, Jutrina Tillman of Phoenix, Arizona, dragged the young boy into his bedroom and began to strangle him before threatening to kill him and his 13-year-old sister with a butcher knife. More »

How To Talk to Your Children About Classic Video Games

Mike Fahey — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:20:00 EST

It's a delicate subject but one that will inevitably come up for any parent, and you've got to be prepared. In this age of bright and shiny high definition games, how can we force our children to play through the games we grew up on first? This is commenter Balmung's question in today's Speak Up on Kotaku. Now eat your video games, kids. More »

An Adorable Musical Argument for Legend of Zelda Fan Procreation

Mike Fahey — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:20:00 EST

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Three children (with a baby cameo) take on the roles of Link, Zelda, and Ganon in what could be the most favorable outcome of Legend of Zelda fans in love, even if they got the musical credit wrong. More »

Video Games Plant the Seeds of Creativity in Children's Minds

Mike Fahey — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:20:00 EDT

I was under the impression that it took a creative person to fully appreciate everything video games have to offer. According to recent research conducted at Michigan State University, I may have had that backwards. Does playing video games make you more creative? More »

Bayonetta Teaches Our Children a Dirty Lesson

Mike Fahey — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:20:00 EDT

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In today's very special episode of Speak Up on Kotaku, commenter Aikage warns of a very dangerous message lurking in the otherwise pure and innocent Bayonetta. More »

Which Came First, the Hardcore Gamer or the Bad Parent?

Mike Fahey — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 17:20:00 EDT

A recent study conducted by researchers at Michigan State University found that the more time middle school students spent playing games, the more negative an opinion they held about their parents. It seems like a simple matter of cause and effect, but which is which? More »

It's Never Too Early to Roleplay

Mike Fahey — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:20:00 EDT

When I was twelve years old my friends and I attempted to decipher the mysteries of Dungeons & Dragons. As I recall, the game we ended up playing involved us hitting each other with sticks. If only we had James Stowe's child-friendly D&D character sheets. More »

Apparently I'm Not Allowed to Sell My Children for Online Gaming Money Either

Mike Fahey — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:30:00 EDT

The internet is abuzz with the story of a Chinese couple that's gotten in trouble for selling their three children for money to spend on online games. As it turns out, that's not the sort of thing people take kindly to no matter where you live. More »

Has Aging Changed the Way You Game?

Mike Fahey — Tue, 17 May 2011 11:20:00 EDT

Commenter Sumada feels he doesn't appreciate games as much as he did when he was younger. In today's Speak Up on Kotaku we explore how aging has changed the way you play and appreciate video games. More »

It's Frightening How Persistent a Child Predator Can Be

Mike Fahey — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EDT

In December of 2010, 18-year-old Alex Trowell of Idaho was on his way to visit his 12-year-old World of Warcraft girlfriend in New Mexico. Alerted by the girl's mother, New Mexico police called Trowell and had him turn his car around. More »

Gamer Problems: Being Stalked By Children

Mike Fahey — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:20:00 EDT

In today's very special episode of Speak-Up on Kotaku, commenter Hongo deals with an issue that every gamer faces at some point: Children think we're pretty damn awesome. More »

Teaching First-Graders with Minecraft

Owen Good — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EDT

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When his five-year-old daughter built a treehouse by herself in Minecraft, Joel Levin, a computer teacher at Manhattan's Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School, got the idea to try incorporating the PC game into his lesson plan at school. He worried about numerous possibilities that the game would simply be incompatible with students that young, but he was relieved and gratified to discover he was wrong. More »

Can Video Games Keep Your Children Physically Fit?

Mike Fahey — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST

Can exergaming really take the place of going for a brisk walk or doing a few laps in the pool? A study out of Brigham Young University finds that certain video games do count as legitimate exercise for kids. More »

Playing Video Games With Dad Builds Better Daughters

Mike Fahey — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST

Do video games make girls healthier and happier? A brand-new study out of Brigham Young University's School of Family Life suggests they do, as long as parents are willing to play along. More »

This Is How South Korean Children Battle Game Addiction

Mike Fahey — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:20:00 EST

It looks like torture, and for children In South Korea that are used to playing video games non-stop, ruining their grades in the process it might be. This is where parents send their children to learn a little self-control. More »

How Do You Balance A New Baby And Gaming?

Mike Fahey — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 13:20:00 EST

Commenter Jopeter explores the joys of trying to balance gaming with a newborn baby in today's installment of Speak-Up on Kotaku. More »

Doctors Say The 3DS Is Safe, Potentially Beneficial To Children

Mike Fahey — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:20:00 EST

Nintendo warned that its new 3DS portable gaming system might have negative effects on young children's vision. Now the American Optometric Association steps forward to say that using 3D technology could have a positive effect on children's eyesight. How so? More »

Violent Video Games Promote Civic Behaviors

Mike Fahey — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 14:30:00 EST

Just because you're shooting other people online doesn't mean you're going to shoot them offline. In fact, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Texas A&M International University, playing violent video games could promote civic engagement in children. More »

Resident Evil 5 May Have Exposed Child To Real Evil

Mike Fahey — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST

A father in the Canadian province of British Columbia contacted the police on Monday after receiving sexually explicit messages from a man his 12-year-old daughter had met playing while Resident Evil 5. More »

Playing With Your Children Can Save Their Mental Health

Mike Fahey — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:30:00 EST

Using the television or video game console to babysit your child might be more detrimental than you think. The results of a two decade study show that actively participating in your child's life could save them from severe personality disorder. More »

Who Should Be Responsible For Keeping Violent Games From Children?

Mike Fahey — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EDT

A Gallup survey conducted over the weekend finds that while Americans believe the greatest responsibility for keeping violent games out of children's hands lies with parents, they aren't opposed to the government stepping in to help. More »

Law And Order Handles Video Game Fueled Child Neglect Badly

Mike Fahey — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EDT

In last week's ripped from the headlines episode of Law and Order: SVU, a couple gets so wrapped up in a ridiculously fake video game that they forget who their daughter is. "This is the kingdom of Galagar!" More »

Peter Molyneux's Son Calls Out Valve On Half-Life 3 Delay

Brian Crecente — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EDT

Perhaps calls out is too harsh a phrase. Really Lucas Molyneux just asks, almost begs, Valve's Gabe Newell for more details on the perpetually not-finished Half-Life 3. More »

New PETA Games Give Power To The Pachyderms

Mike Fahey — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 11:40:00 EDT

PETA2 teaches children about the plight of circus-bound elephants with a pair of new flash games, giving the world's largest land mammals a chance to strike back against the clowns, trainers, and circus CEOs that are keeping them down. More »

Bumper Stickers For Proud Gamer Parents

Mike Fahey — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:20:00 EDT

Any kid can get on the honor roll, but how many can get through Super Mario Bros. without using a warp pipe? These are the sort of accomplishments any gaming parent would be proud to display on their bumper. More »

Cheech Goes With The Flo

Mike Fahey — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:20:00 EDT

Cheech Marin and Jenifer Lewis, the voices of Ramone and Flo in Cars, goof off at the launch party for Disney Pixar's World of Cars Online. More »

Study Says Kids Likely to Play Video Game Sports in Real Life

Owen Good — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EDT

Duh, you say. Well, the usefulness of the report suggests that playing video games ain't entirely sedentary, and aren't a threat to actual exercise. Ah, now do you see? Sports games are our friends. More »

Why Too Much Gaming Makes Your Attention Wander

Mike Fahey — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:20:00 EDT

A recent study conducted at Iowa State University has concluded that exceeding guidelines for viewing television or playing video games can do something bad to your attention span, or whatever. I wasn't paying attention. More »

How To Protect, Not Isolate, Your Child From Online Gaming

Brian Crecente — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:00:00 EDT

Tea-Bagging! Salty language! Racism! There seems to be plenty of reasons why you shouldn't let your child go online to game until they're ready to drive.. or vote... or drink. But what about the benefits? More »

This Is Not The Marvel Super Hero MMO You've Been Waiting For

Mike Fahey — Thu, 13 May 2010 17:20:00 EDT

It might not be the City of Heroes meets the X-Men we were hoping for, but kids should get a kick out of playing as tiny versions of their favorite Marvel characters in Gazillion Entertainment's Super Hero Squad Online. More »

IGDA Teams with USDA to Make Some Choice Games

Owen Good — Wed, 12 May 2010 21:30:00 EDT

Sometimes, games and the government are capable of doing things together other than antagonizing each other. Take the six "Game Jams" going on in two weeks, pairing developers with kids to brainstorm some games that reinforce healthy eating habits. More »

A Video Game To Keep Children From Being Savaged By Wild Dogs

Mike Fahey — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:40:00 EDT

University of Guelph professor Barbara Morrongiello doesn't want your children to be eaten by dogs, so she's created a video game that will teach kids how to avoid catastrophic canine confrontations. More »

Stealth Killing, You Know - For The Kids

Mike Fahey — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 17:00:35 EDT

Today's kids need to know how to go about getting revenge for the murder of their daughter using the skills they acquired as a top-secret secret government operative. The Splinter Cell Activity Book for Kids can help. More »

Grand Theft Auto Used To Steer Children Away From Violence? That's New

Mike Fahey — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:20:47 EDT

Grand Theft Auto, often the whipping-boy for the anti-violent video games movement, is being used by a program in Merseyside, England to help stop children becoming desensitized to violence. Welcome to Bizarro world. More »

Adorable Voltron? Try Adorable Predator, Bumblebee, Yoshimitsu

Brian Crecente — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST

Remember that painfully adorable Voltron cosplayer Ash posted about a few days ago? Well, that was nothing. More »

Three-Year-Old Kills Herself With Game Controller-Shaped Gun

Mike Fahey — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:20:00 EST

A three-year-old in Wilson County, Tennessee died Sunday evening after accidentally shooting herself in the abdomen with a weapon she may have mistaken for a plastic Wii facsimile. More »

Yale-Developed Game Teaches Young Children To Avoid HIV

Mike Fahey — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:20:00 EST

The National Institute of Health is granting Yale associate professor Dr. Lynn Fielin $3.9 million over five years to develop a game aimed at helping children aged 9 through 14 say no to sex, drugs, and other HIV-transmitting behaviors. More »