Then he watched the Sony press conference, and the world as we know it changed. After hearing about “Metal Gear Solid 4”, as well as other PlayStation exclusives in the pipeline and the awesomeness of Blu-ray, he promptly packed up his Xbox 360 and all his games and went down to Game Stop to trade them in.

I am sure the folks at Sony are overjoyed to hear oh Jane's boy's extreme reaction to their press conference, but had he been living in a cave for two years or what? He heard about Blu-ray and Metal Gear Solid 4 and decided to go PlayStation? According to Wells, her son reads all of the news sites, participates in chat rooms, and even watches G4...oh. That explains it.

Not heartwarming story about a journalists son is complete without a tender moment at the end, so I leave you with Jane's final words on the subject.

As we left the store, I said to him, “I never thought I’d see you with a PlayStation.” “Neither did I,” he replied.

*wipes away tear and adds a link*

The Ultimate Proof Sony Is Winning [CNBC - Thanks Dean!]

"The PC version of GTA IV has not even been announced for release and is still in development so is not about to be released on a website."

The entire conversation is very long and almost takes on the scope of a 419 baiter thread. But they do provide screenshots (granted, those can be faked too.)

Basically, these two guys concoct a detailed tech support problem with a free demo of Grand Theft Auto IV, and see if Take 2 will bite. Of course, they do, but only to a point. After getting that little nugget above — which they're convinced was copypasted from some higher-up's response to befuddled tech support — they get another tech who is less fun and a little more circumspect about their claims.

While the last message does say, "We are unsure when the PC version of the game will be released," that does not mean, "We are sure it will be coming out, just not when." I am likewise unsure of when I'll win the Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes.

ComputerandVideoGames.net reported rumors back in April that a PC GTA IV was due out in October, citing European retailers. That didn't bring a denial from Rockstar UK, just "no comment." So unless and until Rockstar wants to lay the rumor smash, this remains rumor only. I wouldn't get my hopes up, but you never know.
How We Pranked Rockstar [Blog, thanks reader Matt]

Currently, there's a Wall-E minigame, printable paper dolls for My Fashion Studio, and instructions on how to draw LEGO Batman, on which I am sure we could all afford a lesson.

GameStop kicks off the site launch with an activity contest, where participants come up with an activity for GameSpot's kid-friendly activity book launching this winter. The winning activity gets featured in the book, and the winner also gets a $500 GameStop gift card. Kotaku readers who are parents, now is when you force your children to enter and totally help them cheat, and then buy $480 worth of games for yourself and then give the kid a used GBA title, or something.

I'm joking. Kinda.

[GameStop Playground]

GAMESTOP GIVES MORE POWER TO THE PLAYER…AND PARENTS….WITH LAUNCH OF ITS NEW GAMESTOP PLAYGROUND WEBSITE

Virtual Playground Features Interactive Games, Contests, and Gaming Tips for Parents

In an effort to provide more power to gamers – and their parents, GameStop, the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer, has launched the GameStop Playground, a virtual online playground of fun activities, videos, and mini-games for families to enjoy. In conjunction with its on-going "Respect the Ratings" efforts, the site also provides tools to help parents select appropriate games for their children, including shopping guides, gaming tips, ESRB ratings, and a list of recommended games for kids.

The GameStop Playground can be accessed online at: http://www.gamestop.com/playground,

where visitors are invited to try the WALL•E mini game, print out a template to make My Fashion Studio paper dolls, learn how to draw LEGO Batman, watch a Mario Kart video, and more. The site will be updated regularly to include new games, activities, contests, and helpful information.

To coincide with the launch of the site, GameStop Playground is currently hosting the "Build Your Own Activity Contest," which invites contestants come up with a cool and unique activity for the next issue of the GameStop activity book. The winner of the activity contest will receive a $500 GameStop gift card and have his/her activity featured in the book coming out this winter. Four runner-ups will each get $100 gift cards. All entries must be postmarked on or before Sept. 12, 2008. For complete rules, visit www.gamestop.com/playground/contest.

With more than 1,600 E-rated game titles to choose from, GameStop simplifies the game-selection process and gives power to the players. As the world's leading gaming specialty store, GameStop has the widest assortment of titles and an experienced staff to guide game selection for any ages.

The Fun Centers will contain Sharp Aquos flatscreen TVs, Wiis and family-friendly titles like Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Sports and Mario Party 8. On June 25th, Nintendo will kick things of by donating two units to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles at a Galaxy-themed launch event.

Nintendo has partnered with the Foundation for some 16 years now, and had GameCubes in previous versions of the Fun Center. The company says doctors, family and hospital staff praise the Fun Centers for their ability to "brighten moods, boost morale and reduce feelings of isolation among ailing children."

If I may get a little personal for a sec, I had a hospital stay when I was a kid, and I remember playing Super Nintendo there with a lot of other kids, many of whom were much younger than me and much worse off - I can vouch for it brightening the days, for sure. Full announcement follows the jump.

Nintendo and Starlight’s New Fun Centers Featuring Wii Give Sick Children a Boost
Partnership with Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation Brings Fun Centers with Wii Consoles to Hospitals Nationwide

REDMOND, Wash.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Determined to help lift the spirits of seriously ill children and their families, Nintendo of America Inc. and Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation have committed to placing hundreds of popular Fun Centers, now featuring Wii™ game systems, in hospitals across the United States and Canada this year. Nintendo of America is manufacturing 1,250 new Fun Centers in their first run, and Starlight expects to have about 500 of them placed in hospitals by the end of the year. In a continuation of the organizations’ 16-year partnership, the portable Fun Centers with the new Wii technology will be enjoyed by thousands of hospitalized kids.

The new Fun Centers feature a Sharp AQUOS™ flat-screen television, a DVD player, a Wii system and a selection of family-friendly Wii games like Super Mario Galaxy™, Wii Sports™ and Mario Party® 8. The Fun Centers were created specifically to offer children an entertaining respite during difficult hospital stays.

To help mark the introduction of the new Fun Centers, two units, donated by Nintendo, will be presented to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles at a special Super Mario Galaxy-themed launch event on June 25. Child star Allen Alvarado, of Discovery Kids’ Flight 29 Down, and video game icon Mario™ will be in attendance. Allen has had personal experience with Fun Centers, which kept him company and aided in his recovery when he was hospitalized for several weeks at Childrens Hospital after an automobile accident last fall.

Previous versions of the Fun Center, most recently featuring Nintendo GameCube™ video game systems, earned praise from families, doctors and hospital staffers alike for their ability to brighten moods, boost morale and reduce feelings of isolation among ailing children. Since the first model was created in 1992, more than 5,000 units have been distributed to over 1,000 hospitals across North America. The new Fun Center offers an enhanced entertainment experience by incorporating the Wii console’s distinctive motion-sensing controls and an array of popular games.

“We’re extremely proud to make Fun Centers a part of our collaboration with Starlight,” said Don James, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Operations. “The inclusive fun of Wii is especially valuable for families in need of a tension reliever while dealing with serious pediatric illness. We hope the new Fun Centers will give kids and their loved ones an opportunity to play, laugh and connect with each other amid trying circumstances.”

“Our patients at Childrens Hospital benefit greatly from the Fun Centers,” said Linda Garcia, Manager, Child Development Services, for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “The Fun Centers serve as a diversional tool for Child Life Specialists to provide to patients and families in the playrooms, at bedside and throughout the hospital, including medical units, clinics and waiting rooms. The Fun Centers promote socialization, mastery and fun. Through this play, children learn about cooperation, positive thinking and problem-solving skills. The Fun Centers also provide opportunities for hand strengthening and finger dexterity, an important therapeutic value for our patients undergoing physical rehabilitation.”

“Everyone who has spent time in a hospital knows how scary and lonely it can be,” said Paula Van Ness, CEO of Starlight. “Our Fun Centers transform the hospital experience for children, bringing enjoyment and laughter to an otherwise daunting experience. And as an added benefit of this new Fun Center model, the Wii technology can be used to encourage children to do physical therapy and motor coordination exercises.”

People who want to help support the mission of Nintendo and Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation can visit Starlight’s Site of a Million Stars at www.millionstars.org. Click on Mario’s star to place a star in Nintendo of America’s Galaxy. Starlight’s goal is to unite 1 million caring people and organizations to bring seriously ill children and their families out of the dark. Placing a star in Nintendo of America’s Galaxy is free and includes space for a message about the nature of your support and a link to your favorite Web site. You can also choose to add special features to your star or upgrade to a constellation for a tax-deductible donation of $5 to $100.

For more information about Fun Centers, visit www.starlight.org/funcenters.

About Nintendo: The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 2.7 billion video games and more than 460 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario™, Donkey Kong®, Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.

About Starlight: When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is affected. For 25 years, Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation has dedicated itself to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. Starlight’s programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone. Through a network of offices, Starlight provides ongoing support to children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces with an array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings. Programs are also delivered internationally through affiliates in Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. To learn more visit www.starlight.org.

About Childrens Hospital Los Angeles: Founded in 1901, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles has been treating the most seriously ill and injured children in Los Angeles for more than a century, and it is acknowledged throughout the United States and around the world for its leadership in pediatric and adolescent health. Childrens Hospital is one of America’s premier teaching hospitals, affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932. It is a national leader in pediatric research. Since 1990, U.S. News & World Report and its panel of board-certified pediatricians have named Childrens Hospital Los Angeles one of the top pediatric facilities in the nation. Visit our website: www.ChildrensHospitalLA.org

I often hear longtime platformer fans complain they don't make 'em like they used to, and bemoan the perceived "selling out" of their favorite mascot franchises, when all they want is the great gap-skipping of old that they remember from their younger days.

Most of us were kids during the 3D platformer heyday. So maybe, though, just maybe, if any of those games were to be released today, we'd say they looked like children's games. Brash Entertainment's upcoming Space Chimps film tie-in platformer is a kids' game, and giving it a whirl today was what made me think about days of yore.

It doesn't look too fancy, and it's aimed to be friendly to the younger set. But it sure took me back a bit, which was a surprisingly fun experience.

Space Chimps is hitting Xbox 360, Wii, DS and PS2 on July 15th, just a bit ahead of the film. I was only vaguely aware there was a film - it's summertime, after all, and between Kung-Fu Panda and Wall-E, I asked the rep if Brash was a little bit concerned about the release timing. Why not wait until there's a bit more of a lull in the mascot-led, kid-friendly animated flicks?

"I do think with school out, we'll be in good shape," she told me.

The game's based on the upcoming film, and features animated cutscenes from it, which looked adorable on the Xbox 360. The basic premise is that a pair of NASA chimps, descendants of the very first space monkeys, find themselves on an alien planet, tasked with rescuing its citizens from the rule of an evil overworld.

The Space Chimps game lets you play as either Ham the Third, the male monkey, or Luna, his female cohort, depending on what sequence you're playing through. Ham can brawl and do a sort of diving headbutt, while Luna soon picks up a little lizard buddy (exclusive to the game) who can ride on her sleeve and act as a first-person gun. There are also little exploding red dudes called Plodeys that you can pick up to hurl at walls to open new doors and solve puzzles.

After clearing an area with Ham, by beating up some spear-toting hostile aliens and opening my way forward with a Plodey, I got to navigate Luna through a cavern of rivers and floes. Leaping on chunks of stone as they fell down a waterfall (that was either hot, or poisonous, or just generally hazardous enough to induce death) reminded me of the simplicity of the early 3D platformers - and the frustration, too, which was not necessarily a bad thing.

With Luna, I knocked off the head of a statue and carried it to a button, which would keep the platform I needed from sinking. The whole works was old-school, and nothing real snazzy to look at, but the chimps look cute, the film looks like it could be lots of fun, to the extent that those character flicks always do, and I was surprised at how long I spent playing it.

Maybe I miss my roots? What do you guys think - do you miss the old 3D platformers? Think your current age has anything to do with it? Would you play a "kids' game" if it reminded you of what you used to enjoy?

Second, D3P will release a DS title based on Aardman Animation's Shaun the Sheep TV series on February 6, 2009. When Kotaku visited D3P's press event last week in New York City, we got to take a look at the Shaun the Sheep game, and we also recently spoke to D3P of America's executive vice president Yoji Takenaka about the agreement and the new titles.

"Coraline is a movie for kids, and it's part of our global strategy to bring good kids' properties to the video game market," said Takenaka. "Also, Coraline opened up a relationship with Universal Studios, a major studio, and I am very excited by that."

Gaiman's dark fairytale story had its disturbing moments, so we were a little surprised to hear that it's being adapted as a stop-motion animated kids' flick, and asked Takenaka for more details.

"It will skew toward the younger demographic," said Takenaka, "but there's something in there for everyone."

Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick will be heading up the film project, and the animation will be filmed first in 3D, starring Dakota Fanning in the title role. Coraline discovers a secret door in her house that leads to an alternate life that seems better at first, but quickly grows sinister.

"It's a very stylish movie and we love the story. We see opportunity there, and so we decided to take this property and make a game out of it."

It isn't the publisher's first partnership with a film studio, after doing Aardman's Flushed Away based on the Dreamworks Pictures film.

"We're very much enthusiastic any time we have this kind of opportunity, so I'm excited," said Takenaka. "We are here to support the kids' market."

Shaun the Sheep will be a DS exclusive, and Takenaka said it was the right time to do the game as the TV series, already well-received in the UK, began to gain popularity in the U.S, running right before Hannah Montana on the Disney channel. Takenaka expects the game will release simultaneously, or close to it, in both Europe and the U.S.

"We are making an adventure game showcase of the very funny and very memorable moments in the show, and it has an immediate hook with the sense of humor," Takenaka explained.

When I had the Shaun the Sheep game demonstrated for me at the D3P event, it did indeed look to be a kid-friendly adventure game with minigames at intervals making full use of the DS functionality - like "blowing dry" each fluffy sheep after they'd been washed. In the section I saw, the player guided Shawn around the farm with the stylus, tapping various objects in the search for a lost flock. There were also well-rendered images from classic moments in the show that the player would receive as rewards for success.

Takenaka said the kids' product line was a major part of the publisher's strategy, but not its entirety. "Our strategy is, right now, 50-50 divided between kids' games and original IP. As you know, we brought Dark Sector just about a couple months ago, and Dead Head Fred last summer, and Earth Defense Force. So we are bringing more contents in the future."

D3P also plans to continue moving into the area of digital distribution, as it did when it brought Puzzle Quest to Xbox Live Arcade. "We enjoy the success on XBLA with Puzzle Quest, and it's one of our top sellers in the last year. We would like to keep going and bringing very great games, intriguing games... we are here to support Xbox Live and PlayStation Network and PC downloadables, and we are ready to move forward onto Wii Ware."

Some of these downloadable titles, said Takenaka, will be specific to one platform, and others will be available cross-platform.

While only Shaun the Sheep was available to view at D3P's recent press event, Takenaka said he'd seen the Coraline game in progress, and that he was excited about how it was coming along.

"She is cute!" He said.

The book Grand Theft Childhood got a good bit of attention upon its release, and the authors are back discussing reactions to the book, as well as issues that have cropped up (again) in the wake of GT IV. On the media frenzy, they have this to say:

This is strikingly similar to the concerns over and editorials against comic books, radio, gangster films and—back in the late 19th century—the evil influence of paperback novels on teenage girls. None of those bore out. Each time, the pundits and politicians said that earlier concerns may have been silly, but that this time it’s different. So far it hasn’t been.

It's repeated frequently, but probably worth repeating once more — everything from Hollywood films to Chinese classics like Peony Pavilion have been labeled as 'dangerous' at some point or another (with ferocity equal to or surpassing video game critics' utterances). Anyway, it's an interesting interview touching on a number of issues.

Grand Theft Childhood Author Weighs in on GTA IV [Open Education via GameSetWatch]

In retrospect, it was silly of me to be so worried that being an "adult" meant I wouldn't be able to play videogames. I believe that part of my maturation into what I consider to be real adulthood came in the form of learning to juggle all the new "adult" responsibilities I've taken on with the hobbies I've always held dear, most notably gaming.

Thinking back to when I was growing up, my parents kept up with their hobbies just the same as I do now .... I can vividly remember both of them pursuing their favorite pastimes on a daily basis while still keeping up with their parental and familial duties.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel! Balance is a hard skill to master, and I'm looking forward to having more time to game in future years when I've nailed down the best way to fit in everything I love to do. It's occasionally painful to come to grips with having to reconfigure well-loved hobbies in sometimes dramatic ways (I've given up much loved hobbies entirely until I get out of grad school, mostly because the time-money conundrum cannot be worked out), but it is nice to 'have it all' when you can make it work.

'All Grown Up: A Gamer Comes to Grips With Adulthood' [GameSetWatch]

Absolutely, I'd be silly if I said I wasn't. We built this for our kids - I mean we built it scalable, and part of why we didn't have any VC money, no investors, was because we didn't build it as a business - we built it as a side project.

Lance, another of the partners - his oldest child and mine are about three months apart, and we were talking about how they were learning to use the mouse, starting to use the computer and the internet.

And it was that dialogue, and some technologies that Lance had been working on that really was the birth of Club Penguin. So a lot of this has come as a surprise.

I think there's a tendency to brush off these niche games since they're not 'serious' MMOs — even though they've done an incredible job of pulling in the subscribers with reasonably limited advertising and so on. Where will these types of games go from here — and their players? Club Penguin player today, WoW addict in a decade? I guess time will tell.

MMO Week: Club Penguin [GamesIndustry.biz via PlayNoEvil]

Funny thing about "Grand Theft Childhood." I had picked up the book expecting that a tome with such a provocative title would take a dimmer view of the influence games have on kids.

Olson said she and her husband wanted the title to be phrased as a question ("Grand Theft Childhood?"), but "publishers don't like question marks."

She said she hopes that folks who want to think there's a link between violence and video games read the book — if the title hooks them in, so much the better.

"We didn't want to preach to the choir," she said.

I guess that's one of the things about GTA — so much stuff written in the wake of a new release has precious little to do with the game itself. At least this one is a reasonably positive look at the beloved media topic of violent games and violent (or not) kids.

The Adult Crime Game Kids Love [The Washington Post]

Unlike Mini Bash or Tristan, I didn't have particularly cool or hip parents, thus my video game education was more or less self-directed. My mom still doesn't really get the whole gaming thing, but thinks it's pretty cool I write for a big gaming blog. So, Kotakuites, what was your introduction to gaming? Were you lucky enough to have parents who encouraged it? If you've got kids, do you game with them? When and how did you introduce them to gaming?

"We are huge fans of other MMO shooter games," said YJ Jin, Producer of Manga Fighter. "But we're tired of gory, violent and gruesome games. With Manga Fighter, we've created something fun - yet non-violent - so that gamers of all ages can jump in and have a great time."

OnNet USA Invites Gamers to the Manga Fighter Grand Opening

SAN JOSE, CA - April 10, 2008 - OnNet USA, a leading developer of free-to-play online games, today announced the "Grand Opening" of Manga Fighter, a massively multiplayer third-person action game. To celebrate the occasion, OnNet USA will hold several events with great prizes. Bringing a unique and action-packed take on the genre, Manga Fighter raises the bar for all-ages online games.

"We are huge fans of other MMO shooter games," said YJ Jin, Producer of Manga Fighter. "But we're tired of gory, violent and gruesome games. With Manga Fighter, we've created something fun - yet non-violent - so that gamers of all ages can jump in and have a great time."

Manga Fighter offers an entirely new take on online shooters. Featuring stylized cartoon-like characters, rich and electrifying environments, and an arsenal of non-lethal weaponry, Manga Fighter offers gamers of all ages the classic shooter experience without the needless gore and violence.

To participate in the events, create a free Manga Fighter account at mangafighter.gamescampus.com.

Games For Heroes [Official Site]

2008 Kids' Choice Awards [Nickelodeon]

[Photos by Amy Graves/Getty Images/WireImage]

Questionaut [BBC via Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

Fluid Entertainment Gets $3.2 Million for New MMO Veteran children's game developer secures backing for original game.

March 12, 2008 - Fluid Entertainment, a California based interactive entertainment developer, today announced it has secured $3.2 million in Series A funding led by Trinity Ventures. These funds will support the development and launch of a new, entirely original MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) game for children. Fluid Entertainment will announce more game details in the coming months.

"Fluid Entertainment is led by a creative team with more than a decade of experience developing interactive, educational, and - most importantly - fun entertainment for kids," remarked Tim McAdam, general partner at Trinity Ventures. "The company has been in business since the late 90s, and is widely known for developing well regarded games for children. With three other gaming investments in our current portfolio, we were looking for the right play in the children's MMO area, which is an open canvas with only a few incumbents. Fluid has a veteran team, a great history, and a clear and progressive vision that positions the company to become a leader in this arena."

Fluid Entertainment will use the financing to complete development of an engaging, interactive, and environmentally themed "green" game for kids. Slated for launch later this year, the game will feature unprecedented levels of engaging gameplay for children's MMOs, while infusing the compelling narrative with a meaningful purpose.

"It's an exciting time for everyone here at Fluid Entertainment as we drive toward launching an enormously imaginative, vibrant, and innovative new online 'playscape' for children," said Greg Jones, CEO of Fluid Entertainment. "We're thrilled that the venture community shares our exciting vision, and this financing ensures our ability to execute."

Fluid Entertainment's introduction of an original MMO property comes at a time of immense growth in the interactive entertainment field. According to the ESA (Entertainment Software Association), the computer and video game industry broke sales records in 2007, surpassing $9.5 billion. This figure reflects 28% growth from the previous year, with largest growth reflected in the "Family Entertainment" genre, which grew 110%. Additionally, a recent study published by eMarketer, predicts that MMOs, also called "virtual worlds," will be played by 53% of children and teens, a projected 20 million users, by the year 2011.

Working at the forefront of digital entertainment since the genre's earliest years, Fluid Entertainment has a long history of creating educational, engaging and entertaining media for children. The company boasts partnerships spanning a decade with such publishers as Hasbro, Berkeley Systems, Disney, Mattel and The Learning Company.

For more information on Fluid Entertainment, please visit: http://www.fluidentertainment.com

About Fluid Entertainment
Based in Mill Valley, California, Fluid Entertainment is an independent children's interactive entertainment developer founded in 1998 by industry veteran Scott Mathews. With experience creating high profile licensed interactive products based on properties including Harry Potter™, Disney, the Powerpuff Girls, Pokémon and many others, Fluid Entertainment is currently developing an original MMO title for children.

About Trinity Ventures
Trinity Ventures (http://www.trinityventures.com/), a 21-year veteran in the venture business with more than $1 billion under management, partners with exceptional entrepreneurs to build great companies. Trinity Ventures focuses on early-stage technology investment opportunities with a particular emphasis on the digital media, Internet services, mobility, security and software markets. Trinity has invested in more than 100 ventures, including such leading companies as Aruba Networks (NASDAQ: ARUN), Blue Nile (NASDAQ: NILE), Crescendo Communications, Extreme Networks (NASDAQ: EXTR), Forte Software, Illustra, LoopNet (NASDAQ: LOOP), Photobucket (acquired by News Corporation: NWS), Speedera Networks (acquired by Akamai Technologies: AKAM), Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) and Sygate Technologies (acquired by Symantec: SYMC).

Press Release via IGN

The most interesting result of the study? The dancing game actually expended more energy than walking on the treadmill. Hit the jump for exactly what those results were.

While watching TV and playing traditional video games, both groups of kids expended the same about of energy. Using the camera game, they used three times the amount of energy. Walking on the treadmill, the normal weight kids used three times the energy, while the mildly obese kids used five times the energy. Both groups used the most energy in the dancing game, with the mildly obese group burning six times the amount of energy than sitting still.

I think this study would have been made all the more interesting if they'd used more current games, like anything for the Wii, Wii Fit in particular, but the results are kinda neat, nonetheless.

Mayo Clinic Shows Adding Activity to Video Games Fights Obesity [KIII TV]

Armed Boy Takes Classmate's Pokemon Cards [CBS13.com via DS Fanboy]

Dance Dance Revolution
Guitar Hero
High School Musical: Sing It!
Madden NFL '08

Kids' Choice Award's Official Nominee Announcement [Nickelodeon]

The £372 million anti-obesity initiative doesn't overlook video games, and encourages parents to regulate the amount of time kids spend playing online, using some of the available family timers for consoles. The report also says the Department of Health will research the "impact of this 'screen time' on children's outcomes", observing how playing video games affects kids' physical fitness and overall health.

Industry professionals in Britain say that they support the decision and are willing to collaborate:

In response, director general of ELSPA [Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association] Paul Jackson said: "We look forward to working with the department on strategies to help in the education and support of parents and children. We as an industry wish to encourage healthy lifestyles and will therefore also take the opportunity of informing the government of the huge amount of active gaming devices and games which offer more active and interactive play."

I'm always encouraged when video games aren't seen as the source of all obesity problems in kids, and it's a step in the right direction whenever a government can recognize that games really aren't bad in moderation.

ELSPA welcomes anti-obesity scheme [MCV]

A group of boys has been involved in bullying others, and officials said their actions have included physical attacks, taunting and sexually harassing victims by making their crotches touch other boys' heads while fully clothed — something apparently inspired by the Halo video game series, in which players can perform a posturing move over a defeated enemy.

*rubs temples and sighs* Kids. I'm not sure how to put this. I almost wish the old GI Joe cartoon was still around, because the message would really hit home if delivered by Duke, Hawk, or Snake Eyes by way of some sort of electronic interpreter, followed by the rallying cry of, "Knowing is half the battle!", but here goes.

Don't put your crotches on other student's faces without their express and (if possible) written consent. It's fine in the context of a competitive video game, but real-life involuntary teabagging is wrong.

I used to be disappointed that I missed out on all of the cool video games and computer training the children today are growing up with, but a story like this kind of makes me glad. Sure, I was playing a square with a simplistic arrow fighting against a dragon that looked like a duck, but Adventure never led to someone's testicles rubbing against my forehead. At least not directly.

As for the bullies themselves? Just be careful. Those little guys you are picking on won't always be so little and weak. I grew a foot during the summer between 5th and 6th grade, and suddenly I wasn't such an easy target anymore - plus, the weaker kids are generally more intelligent, able to remember details much longer than the average bully, and are likely to hold a grudge. Hear that M. Bonds of Conshohocken Pennsylvania? Might wanna start giving those trash cans a wide berth.

School to approve bullying policy [Asbury Park Press]

We suppose that this sort of diversion of funds makes more sense than others. I just hope they don't limit the use of PSPs for these poor kids brought to tears by the prospect of experiencing "nature." And, please New Mexico, make sure these kids are well stocked on Happy Meals.

A Tax to Remember [The Huffington Post via GamePolitics]

The key thing for us is being flexible. We never said that we wanted to move away from licensing, and we don't intend to. Great examples of licensed games that we make that we would love to continue to make those licensed games.

A great example of that is Kingdom Hearts. It's a great collaboration between Square and ourselves. Disney characters are in there, and Final Fantasy characters are in there. It's the kind of collaboration that works, and where we see other opportunities like that, we will do them.

We've got a relationship with THQ, and things with Konami. It's not an aberration for us to be licensing. They stay part of our portfolio. But a big piece of the focus is that we didn't feel that purely following a license would give us the right kind of investment focus on quality, and building our brand in games where we thought we had the potential to do.

As tempting as it can be to dismiss a lot of the more casual and kid-geared offerings from companies like Disney, those markets are growing by leaps and bounds - a lot of kid games may fly under the proverbial radar while they're snapping up new users like no tomorrow. It's interesting to read how one company with a very well defined image is trying to cater to a number of pretty diverse markets.

Evolving Disney: Graham Hopper Speaks [Gamasutra]

I've been to a lot of conference sessions talking about how to make games better than they are. I've read a lot of books about it and seen even more books on Amazon about it. The game industry likes to talk about this subject - a lot. And who knows? I may not have been able to identify what was annoying my little friends about these games if I hadn't been studying the subject myself.

But I just can't shake the feeling that all us game developers would learn these lessons better if we just sat down and played like a 3-year-old for a while. Even if we're making games for grown-ups. As we get older we get jaded. We expect to be disappointed. We aren't surprised by inadequacy and sloppy work. We tolerate mediocrity and even find comfort in the mistakes that have become tradition through repetition.

It's an interesting perspective on some of the game design issues that have sparked much discussion in the industry.

Play Like a 3-Year-Old [Escapist Magazine]

"I don't know who is to blame," Mr Easterbrook says. "The issue of obesity is complex and is absolutely one our society is facing, there's no denial about that, but if you break it down I think there's an education piece: how can we better communicate to individuals the importance of a balanced diet and taking care of themselves? Then there's a lifestyle element: there's fewer green spaces and kids are sat home playing computer games on the TV when in the past they'd have been burning off energy outside.

Plus the people are eating complete shit. Added that last bit myself. Of course he does have a point. I haven't participated in any organized outdoor activities since I learned to forge my mother's name back in high school. Eating completely worthless McDonald's crap constantly can only be countered by arduous physical activity, and despite reports to the contrary, playing with your Wii doesn't count.

When it comes to the question of obesity, here is my opinion. You can eat right and play video games all day long and still be relatively slim. You can eat horrible, grease-soaked garbage and exercise regularly and still maintain a nice figure. You can't do both.

Big Macs and healthy profits - how the fast food giant fought back [Times Online via MCV]

Parents and co-workers have been overwhelmingly positive about the project, citing its originality as a catalyst for more independent reading and learning ....

Video game development in the classroom is not for everyone and is still very difficult to implement today. A teacher must be not only highly computer literate and programming savvy, but also well versed in a middleware program such as RPG Maker XP. In order for a project such as ours to be applied to an everyday curriculum, teachers would require vast amounts of training, which is a costly obstacle.

The game was submitted to the 2008 IGF Student competition, and Alvarado says the students will be working on the game through the end of the school year. The article is short and sweet, but explains how the project came to be and how the class is putting together their game.

Making Video Games ... With Fifth Graders [Game Career Guide]

"It's great," Cesar shouted above the din of digital yeehahs, boings, burps and jingles as his class wallowed in their weekly session. "It teaches you what you should eat." The 10-year old's ample frame spilling over his chair belied his claim that he already eats mostly fruit and vegetables and drinks only water, but he was certainly having fun. The conversation was cut short when his nutrin began demanding attention: "I'm hungry," it said.

The game is a part of the company's Live Healthily school program, aimed at teaching children the proper way to eat healthy food and enjoy regular delicious and refreshing Pepsi products. This will of course be as successful as a Smith & Wesson "Don't Shoot At Rival Gangs" campaign, or Columbia's "The Drugs Are For Other Countries" initiative.

Don't worry though, Pepsi isn't using the Live Healthily program for self-promotion. Just ask Jorge Meyer, vice president of corporate affairs of PepsiCo in Mexico.

"We are already producing nutritional products. . .The problem is that Mexicans haven't wanted to buy them."

Pepsi tackles childhood obesity with videogames in Mexico [Guardian Unlimited via GEMAGA]

Library Wii's [WRCB TV]

Everyone's getting into it, for those of you not aged in the single digits, including Disney, Lego, and Mattel. The goal? Shill wares to kids while they play free games, establish brand recognition, then help them "graduate" to the next-generation of online worlds, whether it's Pirates of the Caribbean Online, World of Warcraft or simply fantasy baseball. Oh yes, it's quite dastardly. Good thing I'll be raising my kids with good Quaker morals and no electricity.

Web Playgrounds of the Very Young [New York Times - thanks, Duane!]

Some games lend themselves to Piggybacking better than others, in large part because some games are inherently more fun to be an adjunct participant in than others. In general the hierarchy is consoles over computers, turn-based games over real-time and thinking games over twitch ....

Straight action games are usually spectator friendly only in a very limited "me-centric" way — you watch, often cringing, leaning from side to side, all the while itching to get your hands on the controller and show whoever is playing how to do it right. As much as you want to help as a spectator, your warnings and suggestions will rarely yield any real benefits and are more likely just to frustrate the primary player.

You can't stick two half-decent Unreal Tournament players together and get one amazing player, but two sub-par logicians working together on an adventure game can easily overcome obstacles where one alone would be adrift.

From there, Nixon points to some concrete examples of how this piggybacking concept can work well in games, and some of the inherent problems with making children's games that can appeal to all ages. He exhorts designers of children's games to "remember there may be a literate and highly critical parent watching and judging your every move"; not bad advice for any creator of children's media.

Piggybacking: Gaming Across the Generation Gap [Gamasutra]

USA Today points to a couple of titles that fell under our radar, including DVD games and PC titles such as Guess How Much I Love You and JumpStart World Kindergarten. Of course, the editor must be commended for her choice of Rock Band, which is just about perfect for the kids. Sure, there will be some snarls of anarchy from the pre-teen crowd this Xmas, but it's, like, educational and stuff.

Best 2007 video games for kids [USA Today]

"When it comes to Nintendo DS games, Digital Kids has demonstrated a leading knowledge that has resulted in creative animal simulation titles that appeal to Japanese and Western audiences alike, which is quite rare," Guillemot said in a statement.

Ubisoft Buys Japanese Studio [Next Generation]

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any images of what the game interface looks like so your own your own on that one. But if your tiny rocker wants to shred and you just can't bear to let them touch your precious GH controllers with their peanut butter and jelly fingers, this might be the product you've been looking for.

Shredmaster JR Micro Plug N Play Guitar [dreamGEAR]

"We're excited to add one of our hottest properties to the Xbox LIVE Arcade line up of games," said Steve Youngwood, executive vice president of digital media, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group. "SpongeBob has been a top kids' video game franchise worldwide, making it the perfect property for Nickelodeon and THQ to bring to this downloadable platform."

THQ Announces SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam!TM, Along With Additional New Titles

New SpongeBob Game Will Mark THQ and Nickelodeon's Debut on Xbox LIVE Arcade

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. - October 24, 2007 - THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today announced that SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam!™ will be one of the first titles in the company's portfolio of games developed specifically for Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and is expected to release in November. SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam!, based on Nickelodeon's hit animated series, will mark the network's debut on the Xbox LIVE Arcade. In November, THQ also expects to launch Screwjumper™, a new original title, in the company's portfolio of Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 games. These titles will be followed by new original titles Elements of Destruction™ and Rocket Riot™. The games will all be available for download via the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

"We view Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 as a natural fit for many of our established casual brands, as well as an opportunity to serve up new gaming content," said Bob Aniello, senior vice president of worldwide marketing, THQ. "With more than 20 million units of SpongeBob video games shipped worldwide to-date, we're so excited to bring casual gamers SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam! on the Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360, and we look forward to rolling out more titles with a slate of games that offer a variety of options via the popular Arcade network."

For more information about SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam! and the rest of THQ's Xbox LIVE Arcade portfolio, please visit www.thq.com.

These kids, who should really go outside and play when they're not reading Kotaku for news and foul language, have a common progression, says the NPD. The tend to graduate from kid-friendly electronic games to PC at around age 6, eventually moving on to mobile phone gaming, portable game devices, then to consoles like PlayStations, Xboxes and one-to-two Gamecubes, with NPD indicating that they're going for next-gen hardware.

Rather unsurprisingly, boys tend to stick to consoles, while girls are more attracted to PCs, mobile platforms and "kid-oriented systems".

NPD analyst Anita Frazier says of the findings that between 6 and 8 years is the "critical age at which to capture the future gamers of the world" as that's when children transition into "serious" gamers. These poor kids. They don't know the hell they're getting themselves into, one of pale skin, soft belly flesh and an unhealthy attraction to epic mounts.

Still, I, like Frazier, and Houston before her, believe that children are our future and we should teach them well and let them lead the way. And make sure they play Ico. It's important to a child's development.

The best part is that each piñata comes packed with a surprise inside, one that doesn't require you to smash the thing to bits to recover. Surprises inside include dreidels, kazoos, yo-yos and puzzles. Head on over to the Burger King site or troll the Rare forums to learn more.

Burger King! It's a wonderful restaurant!

Viva Piñata [Burger King - thanks, Jim!]

Study Finds Usability Problems with Parental Controls OAKBROOK TERRACE, IL, SEPTEMBER 25, 2007 - Ratings-based parental controls are often used to protect children from exposure to inappropriate media. To compare the usability of common parental controls, Chicago-based usability consultancy User Centric, tested four devices with 20 parents and 20 children ages 9-12.

During individual usability test sessions, all participants were asked to set up parental controls using a television with a V-Chip, a digital video recorder, a game console, and a mobile phone marketed specifically for children under ten. Participants were also asked to rate each device based on ease of use during set up and their confidence in their own success.

Findings:

* Failure rates were high: 31% (DVR), 36% (mobile phone), 42% (V-Chip), and 47% (game console). Across all four devices, parents and children had similar failure rates when setting up parental controls. Participants who reported prior experience fared no better than those who had no experience.
* The relationship between ratings systems and their impact on parental controls was unclear to many participants. When using the V-chip, participants were often uncertain if selecting one rating would be sufficient for blocking the more severe ratings. When using the game console, participants were confused whether their selection represented the highest rating allowed or the lowest rating blocked (despite explanations displayed onscreen).
* One third of participants failed to set up parental controls across all the devices. This contrasted sharply with the high confidence ratings given by participant; many participants believed they had successfully activated parental controls when they actually had not.
* Several participants failed to set up parental controls because they were unaware that they had to perform an extra step to save and then activate their selection. Parental control interfaces failed to provide sufficient visual cues on whether a specific rating was successfully selected or automatically saved as the current setting.

Overall, User Centric found that participants' lack of understanding about ratings compromised their ability to successfully set up parental controls and that parents may be more confident than they should be that the controls are properly set.

Mellone Cutts is the head of PE at Lea Manor High School which took part in the trials.

"There is a number of students who we don't reach with competitive sports," she said.

"With more and more children becoming obese, one way we can help is by increasing participation in sport and this does that."

And who says video games have no redeeming value?

Computer dance gets pupils active [BBC News, thanks Daniel!]

As nauseating as the whole bubblegum-fashion explosion for adolescent girls can be to us "mature" adults, you can't fault Barbie for keeping up with the times. These virtual worlds for kids — the things I've been looking at on Worlds in Motion like Habbo, Puzzle Pirates, Nicktropolis and Toontown — are absolutely huge, able to generate way more hits and user activity than even the most popular MMO targeted at our set. This is big biz to corporations and advertisers right now, but even if it weren't, I guess it's sorta cool to see the evolution of the way children play with dolls keeping pace with technology.

In order to get access to the full version, players have to purchase (or get their parents to purchase for them) the $59.99 Barbie Girls MP3 player that functions as a USB key. The Bratz game requires the same sort of scheme, just at a cheaper price point (you get a doll and some stuff that Sexy Videogameland describes as "some pink computer peripherals (a mouse and pad) that look like Japanese sex toys") of $29.99. I'm fascinated, yet horrified. Yet fascinated. I neither knew about this stuff, nor realized it was so damn popular. BarbieGirls will be going to full release on 13 August.

Do You Guys KNOW About This Stuff? [Sexy Videogameland]