Kotaku: Children are Our Future

NIMF: 46% Of Kids Able To Purchase M-Rated Games

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:40:00 MST

The National Institute of Media and Family and its partners have released a portion of their findings from a study of 60 U.S. retailers, showing that 46% of minors who attempted to purchase an M-rated game were successful doing so. Gamespot writes that the organization's annual report card on its Annual Sting Operation findings is due next month, a report I'm sure at least one of our commenters is looking forward to.

The findings from the NIMF report preview were similar to the Federal Trade Commission's report from earlier this year, showing that some 42% percent of underage buyers were able to get their hands on a Mature-rated game. That report showed a decrease from 69% from 2003, part of a downward trend, but clearly illustrative of a program that needs a great deal of improvement.

Violent, pro-drug games reportedly sold to minors [San Diego Union-Tribune - via Gamespot]

43% Of Parents Don't Game With Their Kids

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 14:40:46 MST

A recently published Associated Press and AOL Games survey of over 2,000 adults, some 770 of which play video games, reveals that those with kids who game don't spend a whole hell of a lot of time gaming with their offspring. According to the poll, about 43% of parents who have given birth to gamers don't spend any of their family time playing games. Those who do game with the kids tend to be younger parents, like 33 year old Marvin Paup of Arizona who plays Halo 3 with his 10-year old son to the tune of 30 hours a week. Yikes! Hope the Xbox Live headset defaults to "mute others" at the Paup house.

Unsurprisingly, those not weened on joysticks, like 55-year old mother Karen Kimball, bemoan"the violence, the obsession" their kids are subjected to while gaming. One might think that more time alloted to spending time with your kid and a wireless controller might help one relate a bit better.

Kids, it's time to add copies of Scene It? and Wario Ware Smooth Moves to the Amazon wish list. Get a wireless controller into the hands of your crusty old folks the sooner the better.

Poll: Parents and video games don't mix [CNN]

SMU Game Developer Graduates

Kim Phu — Tue, 01 May 2007 14:20:00 MDT

Even more gaming fun will hopefully happen in the future as 24 graduates from SMU (Southern Medthodist University) walk down the aisles with the first ever Master's Degrees in digital gaming ever given out by the school. The private college is located in University Park, Texas, and is ranked in the top third of national Universities in the US News and World Report.

Randy Pitchford, President and CEO of Gearbox Software, spoke at the commencement, saying that the granting of such degrees was crucial to the future of the industry, advising graduates to focus on teamwork and be kind to everyone they work with.... Pitchford went on to advise the graduates to play games as much as they make them, and to be suspicious of game developers who don't.

Blah, blah, blah. Just get your degree and make some awesome games for us. Congratulations to the 24 who graduatated! Kim Phu

University Hands Over First-Ever Game Development Masters Degrees [Game|Life]