US, June 24, 2008 - GameStrata, the leading online community for gamers, today released results from a survey of North American video game enthusiasts showing that over their peak gaming years of 18-48 the average gamer spends more than $30,500 on games and gaming hardware.

“With forecasters estimating this year’s sales will reach nearly $23 billion, it’s clear that gaming is the fastest-growing sector in the entertainment industry,” said Barry Dorf, COO of GameStrata. “The best part is that the trend doesn’t show any signs of slowing. In spite of predictions of a sluggish economy, gamers continue to invest their time and money into electronic entertainment.”

A strong correlation between the frequency of digital purchases and Xbox 360 ownership suggests that the Xbox 360 is the preferred console for the consumption of digital content. Additionally, online multiplayer capabilities are more important than ever, with the vast majority of respondents claiming they prefer to spend most of their time gaming with others on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network (PSN).

“The overwhelming majority of gamers are spending their time online with friends, building their reputation and online personas,” said Dorf. “Video games are becoming so much more than a momentary diversion; gaming is becoming yet another means of community building.”

The move toward the microtransaction revenue model is also a notable trend, with 85% of respondents confirming the purchase of a virtual good in the last month. And with nearly 40% of the respondents confirming that they play 6-10 hours online per week, it’s clear that console manufacturers have more than Cell chips and motion-sensitive controllers to worry about. A simple, easy to navigate online infrastructure is crucial to the success of console development.

Reaching new levels of social interaction may explain the fact that an overwhelming percentage of social gamers purchased online goods. Though most gamers are already likely to purchase virtual goods online, participating in a social network and seeing friends update their games and systems may expedite the process and help gamers make buying decisions faster.

Said Dorf, “The survey results show that social networks need only adapt to the persistent and competitive elements of any genre to penetrate its user base … the viability of future gaming centric social networks is very strong.”

Who Are The Customers [The Earth Times via PS3 Fanboy] [Pic]

Oh, and the music used in this video is FRIGGIN' AWESOME.

WoW Fit [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

“The growth of in-game advertising, both current and projected, makes it an attractive medium for brands looking to reach hard-to-reach consumers,” said Elizabeth Harz, EA’s Senior Vice President of Global Media Sales. “This study solidifies what many in the industry have known for a long time: in-game ads are effective and well-received by the gaming community.”

Hooray! We're only alienating 18% of the gaming public! Hit the jump for the rest of the numbers, most of which seem to be aimed more at attracting advertisers rather than assuaging consumer concerns.

Landmark IGA-Nielsen Study: 82% of Consumers React Positively to Receiving Contextual In-Game Ads During Game Play

New research data from 1,300+ consumers indicates brands receive measurable lift in perception, awareness when advertised in-game

Tuesday 17th June/...Integrating dynamic advertisements into videogame environments provides brands a measured lift in overall consumer awareness and opinion of the products they are exposed to during game play according to the Consumers’ Experience with In-Game Content & Brand Impact of In-Game Advertising Study, a landmark research study conducted by Nielsen BASES and Nielsen Games on behalf of IGA Worldwide, the leading in-game advertising network.

“With young adults now spending on average 6 hours a week gaming, advertisers should be excited at how well their messages were embraced and the brands positively perceived,” said Justin Townsend, CEO of IGA Worldwide. “The consumer insights we’ve gleaned from this data will help drive the industry’s first research-based in-game advertising measurement standards as well as strengthen IGA’s position as an effective in-game ad network brands can trust to efficiently deliver their message to target audiences.”

One of the most important factors confirmed by the Study is that most consumers reacted positively to in-game ads: 82 percent felt games were just as enjoyable with ads as without. In addition, there was an average 61 percent increase in consumers’ favorable opinions of products advertised in-game post-play.

“The growth of in-game advertising, both current and projected, makes it an attractive medium for brands looking to reach hard-to-reach consumers,” said Elizabeth Harz, EA’s Senior Vice President of Global Media Sales. “This study solidifies what many in the industry have known for a long time: in-game ads are effective and well-received by the gaming community.”

One of the most comprehensive in-game advertising effectiveness research studies completed to-date, Nielsen tested multiple variables with multiple brands across multiple games, as opposed to just a single brand in a single game. The research also showed how IGA’s in-game unique advertising opportunities generate significant advertising value across key ad metrics.

"In-game advertising is an opportunity to present targeted brand messaging to a highly desirable demographic. This new data shows how important it is how the targeted and contextual ads are displayed in videogames. Participating in this study with IGA Worldwide has provided valuable new insights into effectively using the medium." said Chad Stoller, Executive Director, Emerging Platforms Organic, Inc.

Nielsen surveyed over 1,300 PC gaming participants in their homes by linking IGA’s proprietary measurement software with research trackers embedded within sample game disc. This unique methodology allowed for unprecedented in-depth analysis of consumer receptivity to in-game ads. The participating brand advertisers included Taco Bell, Jeep and Wrigley and game titles were provided by Electronic Arts and Activision.

Select Findings from the Study:

• There is an average 44 percent increase in post-game aided recall from pre-awareness;

• Positive brand attribute association increased 33 percent across all brands;

• Over 70 percent of consumers who were most opinionated about in-game ads, felt the ads made them feel better about the brand, feel more favorable toward the brand, make them more interested in the brand, and believe the ads are for innovative/cutting edge brands;

• Over 60 percent of the most opinionated consumers feel the ads catch their attention, make games more realistic, do not interrupt the game experience, and are promoting relevant products;

• In-game ad exposures with a duration over 2 seconds, as they are measured in IGA’s in-game ad methodology, generates on average an almost 30% increase in key ad metrics, including ad noticeability +100%, recall +42%, and fit +27%, vs. ad exposures with a duration of less than 1 second

“This study offers proof that dynamic in-game advertising is an influential digital ad medium,” said Dave Anderson, Senior Director Business Development, Activision. “Just as important to us is how users react to the ads. From the research it is clear that the overwhelming majority of consumers enjoyed the gaming experience just as much, if not more, with dynamic ads present. As game publishers, it is reassuring to know advertisers and consumers both stand to benefit from dynamic ads.”

IGA’s network offers dozens of games across multiple genres and platforms, as well as a range of standardized awareness advertising formats with digital measurability. The Company’s advertising products and metrics are in-line with the ad industry and measure ad exposure during game play, including key metrics like minimum time viewed, size and angle thresholds.

Videogame advertising is poised to grow to a $2B global industry by 2012 according to eMarketer, making games the fastest-growing major advertising medium. As a result, advertisers are making significant investments in the in-game environment as an effective strategy to reach target audiences.

[AP] [Pic]

The experiment is significant because the signals his brain sent to move the character came from the man imagining that he was walking. He also used a microphone to meet and converse with another Second Lifer. Then a swarm of flying penises surrounded him and the appalled researchers. OK, just kidding about that.

Researchers are studying a system that would let people select letters for a text message using the same type of brainwave controls. They surmise that, in the future, paralysis patients could use virtual worlds as a surrogate interaction with the real world — for example walking through a virtual mall and making purchases the same way one would in real life.

The research may also deliver mental health benefits as well as physical ones. Researchers hope that the activity will motivate and inspire people who are otherwise too depressed to attempt rehabilitative exercises they consider futile.

Paralysed Man Takes a Walk in Virtual World [AFP via Yahoo! News] [picture]

As the sale of Metal Gear Solid 4 coming up, are you interested in the game? (Collaboration with Famitsu White Paper Editorial Dept)

Already own the PS3 and plan on purchasing MGS4: 28 percent 173 votes
Plan on purchasing it with PS3: 13 percent 81 votes
Own a PS3, but don't intend on purchasing: 15 percent 89 votes
Interested, but don't plan on purchasing it with a PS3: 46 percent 282 votes

Let's look at the numbers: The results show that 41 percent of those polled have already decided to purchase the game, but 61 percent of those polled do not have plans to pick up the game. However, that not-buying-but-interested 46 percent of those polled certainly could be considered potential customers — for whatever that's worth. That perfect Famitsu review should also help move some copies of the game. And if you add all those numbers up, you'll see that one hundred percent of those polled either own a PS3 or are interested in MGS4 — for whatever that's worth.

Metal Gear Solid 4 Interest Poll [Yahoo! Games Thanks, muu!]

UPDATE - Correction time! The graph above, obtained from emarketer via IGN, is WRONG. They got their 360 and PS3 all mixed up! For the 10-27 group, everything's fine, but for the 27+ group, swap the PS3 and 360's numbers around. Making the 360 the console of choice for (least in terms of time spent) both groups.

[Nielsen, via IGN]

It's about taking advantage of the burgeoning video game trend instead of attacking it, said Deborah Lieberman Ph.D., communications researcher at the University of California at Santa Barbara, during the organization's announcement conference today.

"Research has shown you can learn whatever a video game offers. The question is, what are you going to teach?" said Lieberman.

12 universities were awarded $200,000 grants for innovative research concepts that will either develop new games or use existing commercial games to address specific health issues across all areas of the population. An MMO designed to help alcoholics learn relapse prevention and a social mobile game that would teach healthy eating habits to adolescents are just a couple of the winning ideas - one of them even involves Crazy Taxi.

The primary goal of the research, as Lieberman said, is to build a strong evidence base to better understand how games can serve as a springboard to health behavior change, and the Foundation's Chinwe Onyekere said her organization felt it important to invest in these ideas, given the need for evidence to compel the field forward. The Foundation is investing $8.25 million in the Health Games Research national program, for these and additional grants in the future.

"We're a portfolio looking 10 and 20 years down the road, hoping we can really make an impact on the future of health and healthcare. We are keenly aware of how video games are in homes, crossing socioeconomic status backgrounds, with young and old playing games," said Onyekere.

Lieberman said that anecdotal evidence in support of games as health tools abound, from stories of Wii Bowling nights at senior centers to Dance Dance Revolution and the EyeToy being used to help people in physical rehabilitation regain balance and mobility. Lieberman is also enthusiastic about the potential offered by Wii Fit, but the benefit of games reaches beyond body movement "exergaming" — games make useful motivators and behavioral teaching tools, too, she said.

"A game involves a challenge to reach a goal - that's why we love to play them. It makes us want to do better, and we take pleasure in succeeding. Stroke victims work harder and reach further in rehab when they have a game environment in which to try out their skills." They stop thinking about their pain, she said, and think about goals instead, to "tremendous results."

The 12 grantees, chosen from 112 entrants, will lead one- to two-year studies centered on their proposal. The full list is as follows:

Cornell University, Department of Communication (Ithaca, NY) - Mindless Eating Challenge is a mobile phone game for younger adolescents that rewards their good health habits and food choices. The study will investigate how strategies of persuasion in a game can promote healthy behaviors in daily life. The game uses eating tips, mobile phone snapshots of food that players plan to eat, nurturing of virtual characters and feedback from the system and from peers to promote good nutrition and healthy lifestyles.

Indiana University, School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (Bloomington, IN) - BloomingLife: The Skeleton Chase is an alternative reality game designed to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles among college freshmen. It involves an interactive fictional story (a mystery that takes eight weeks to solve) unfolding across a variety of media (e-mail, Web sites, phone calls from fictional characters, physiological monitoring) and real-world physical and mental challenges that players must surmount to gather clues. The study will compare the impacts of competitive versus collaborative game versions.

Maine Medical Center (Portland, ME) - Family-Based Exergaming with Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) will identify impacts of the popular dance pad game on families with at least one overweight child, aged 9 to 17. Participating families will be randomly assigned to receive the DDR game or a pedometer. The study will assess, over time, players’ amount, type and enjoyment of physical activity, quality of life, body mass index and body composition. It also will examine family dynamics in the activities they do together and factors that influence their motivation to be physically active.

Union College, Department of Psychology (Schenectady, NY) - Seniors Cyber-Cycling with a Virtual Team: Effects on Exercise Behavior, Neuropsychological Function and Physiological Outcomes is a randomized, clinical trial designed to identify individual and situational factors that influence exercise behaviors and health outcomes in community-dwelling older adults, aged 50+. The system combines a stationery bicycle with FitClub cardiovascular exergame software, which uses a touch screen to provide individualized feedback to the player and a three-dimensional virtual environment for exercise that can be shared with other players competitively or collaboratively.

University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine (La Jolla, CA) - Behavioral Choice Theory Approach to Testing Exertainment for Adolescent Physical Activity will identify health behavior change principles used in a variety of commercially available exergames and their impact on players’ physical activity levels. The study will use the Xavix system (exergames with sport equipment controllers for tennis, boxing, bowling, cardio-fitness and other sports) to assess the frequency, intensity and duration of physical activity in people aged 11 to 15 that are given a Xavix to use at home for several months. The researchers also will investigate how the social interactions that take place during game play may influence health behavior change.

University of Central Florida, College of Medicine (Orlando, FL) - Practicing Relapse Prevention in Artificial-Reality Environments: [PREPARE]: A Game-Based Therapy Maintenance Tool will investigate role-playing games designed to enable people aged 18 to 65 that are diagnosed with alcohol abuse or dependence to practice skills that can help them prevent real-world relapses. The relapse prevention games are embedded as mini-games within an extensive multiplayer online game. The study will compare behavioral and health impacts of treatment plus access to the game versus treatment without access to the game.

University of Florida, College of Public Health and Health Professions (Gainesville, FL) - Action Video Games to Improve Everyday Cognitive Function in Older Adults will explore the effects of an action-adventure driving video game (Playstation 2’s “Crazy Taxi”) on the visual attention skills of a 3 group of community-dwelling adults, aged 65 and older. The study will compare participants who play “Crazy Taxi,” those who receive a traditional visual attention training program and those who are given no training at all. It will evaluate visual attention performance and cognitive speed and skills, as well as investigate how players’ levels of engagement in the game may influence their motivation to carry out the visual attention training program. University of North Carolina at

Chapel Hill, School of Public Health (Chapel Hill, NC) - Presence: Predicting Sensory and Control Effects of Console Video Games in Young Adults will investigate motivations to expend energy during video game play for people aged 18 to 35. The study will compare physiological measures of energy expenditure while people play traditional video games (those that involve pushing buttons on a standard game controller or on a Wii motion-sensing controller) versus active video games (those that require physical movement, using inputs such as a dance pad, balance board or guitar). It also will explore players’ sense of being present in the game and their intrinsic motivation to play, two factors that are known to increase the amount of time people will spend playing a game. This is the first time that research will identify impacts of these factors on players’ energy expenditure; study results may lead to recommendations for making traditional games more active and active games more compelling.

University of South Carolina Research Foundation (Columbia, SC) - Commercially Available Interactive Video Games for Individuals with Chronic Mobility and Balance Deficits Post-Stroke will investigate the potential of physical activity video games to serve as innovative, cost-effective ways to help people recover motor skills after experiencing a stroke. The study will compare the effects of two video game systems (Wii and EyeToy) on players’ mobility, balance and fear of falling.

University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts (Los Angeles, CA) - Effectiveness of Social Mobile Networked Games in Promoting Active Lifestyles for Wellness will use cell phones and the Web to deliver “Wellness Partners,” a character-driven social mobile networked game, to children and adults aged 12 to 44. The game is designed to motivate real-world wellness through a player support system that involves family members and friends, and by incorporating elements from virtual pets, roleplaying games and online social networking. A single-player version provides a fictional game character that offers encouragement, reminders, progress checking and communication with others. The multiplayer version allows players to enlist members of their social network to be partners or helpers. The study will examine how various components of the game may motivate healthy behaviors.

University of Vermont, School of Medicine (Burlington, VT) - Breath Biofeedback Video Game for Children with Cystic Fibrosis will explore whether a breath biofeedback video game can improve cystic fibrosis patients’ self-administration of inhaled medicines, engagement in respiratory exercises and awareness of their respiratory status. The game uses a breath controller and game software developed by the research team in collaboration with patients in the target user group. In addition to potentially helping cystic fibrosis patients self-manage their condition and maintain better health, the game may also be useful for children and adults with asthma and other forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

University of Washington, School of Medicine (Seattle, WA) - Video Games for Dietary Behavior Change and Improved Glycemic Control in Diabetes will investigate health impacts of online mobile mini-games for people with type 2 diabetes, aged 18 and older. The games are designed to help players attain better blood sugar control by improving their ability to estimate carbohydrates and calories in food portions and by improving their eating habits. In addition to assessing the impact of the games on dietary knowledge and food choices, the study will explore effects of two game design strategies: tailoring and tethering. Tailoring involves customizing a game to meet an individual player’s preferences and goals. Tethering involves embedding a learning task within the strategies that players must use to win a game.

More than $2 million in grants is being handed out to teams researching how video games can improve players' health.

While the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation doesn't plan to announce the dozen research teams who will be awarded the grant money until Thursday, they did say that the funded studies will explore topics ranging from how motion-based games may help stroke patients progress faster in physical therapy to how people in substance abuse treatment can practice skills and behaviors in the virtual world to prevent real-world relapses.

I'd like to think that at least one is looking at the WiiFit and how it does at raising awareness of BMI, but maybe it's too soon for it to have soaked into academia.

It's heartening to see that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation's largest philanthropy devoted to improving the health of Americans, has decided it's worth investing so much money to "explore how games can increase physical activity and enhance prevention, self-management of health conditions".

Hit the jump for the full release.

VIDEO/ONLINE GAMES FOR HEALTH: 12 RESEARCH TEAMS FROM ACROSS U.S. RECEIVE MAJOR GRANTS

Awards go to researchers in CA, FL, IN, ME, NC, NY, SC, VT and WA; Studies explore how games can increase physical activity and enhance prevention, self-management of health conditions

PRINCETON, NJ. More than $2 million in grants will be awarded to 12 research teams to help strengthen the evidence base that supports the development and use of digital interactive games to improve players’ health behaviors and outcomes. The grantees will be announced during a live, phone-based news event (with full Q&A) at 1:30 p.m. EDT Thursday (May 29, 2008).

This is the first round of grants to be awarded from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through its Health Games Research national program, based at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Funded studies explore topics ranging from how motion-based games may help stroke patients progress faster in physical therapy to how people in substance abuse treatment can practice skills and behaviors in the virtual world to prevent real-world relapses.

News event speakers will be:

* Debra Lieberman, Ph.D., communication researcher, Institute for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research, University of California at Santa Barbara; and

* Chinwe Onyekere, program officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Pioneer Portfolio.

TO PARTICIPATE: Join this live, phone-based news conference (with full, two-way Q&A) at 1:30 p.m. EDT on May 29, 2008 by dialing 1 (800) 860-2442. Ask for the “health games grants” news event.

CAN’T PARTICIPATE?: A streaming audio replay of this news event will be available as of 6 p.m. EDT on May 29 at http://healthgamesresearch.org/.

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. The Foundation's Pioneer Portfolio supports innovative ideas and projects that may trigger important breakthroughs in health and health care. Projects in the Pioneer Portfolio are future-oriented and look beyond conventional thinking to explore solutions at the cutting edge of health and health care. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org/pioneer.

About the University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) is one of 10 universities in the University of California system, and is one of only 62 research-intensive institutions elected to membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities. The distinguished 980-member faculty includes five Nobel Prize winners and scores of elected members or fellows of elite national academies and associations. The campus is also home to 12 national centers and institutes, eight of them sponsored by the National Science Foundation. U.S. News and World Report's guide, "America's Best Colleges," ranks UCSB number 13 among all public universities in the nation. For more information, visit www.ucsb.edu.

UCSB's Institute for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research (ISBER) brings together researchers from many academic disciplines in order to foster collaboration and span the boundaries between the social and behavioral sciences, the humanities, and the physical and biological sciences. For more information, visit www.isber.ucsb.edu.

The Health Games Research national program office at UCSB conducts and supports research to enhance the quality and impact of interactive games used to improve health. For more information, visit www.healthgamesresearch.org or contact the program at healthgamesresearch@isber.ucsb.edu.

These gender differences might help explain why males are more attracted to, and more likely to become "hooked" on, video games than females. I think it's fair to say that males tend to be more intrinsically territorial. It doesn't take a genius to figure out who historically are the conquerors and tyrants of our species.

Certainly, Reiss might have evidence in hard science, but it sure sounds like he's totally underestimating women. Lots of them are "hooked" on games! Some are tyrants, too!!

Games Are Guy Thing [Game Politics]

The results of this survey are interesting as it gives us an insight into which brands these teens aspire to, as the level of ownership does not correspond to the consoles’ popularity...By order of ownership, the Wii leads, followed by the Xbox 360 and PS3... As Sony and Xbox strive to broaden their consoles' appeal, from hardcore to casual gamer, the results of the survey seem to indicate that gender, not previous gaming experience, determines console choice. Regardless of their level of interest towards gaming, boys prefer the PS3 and girls prefer the Wii.

What does that mean for the Xbox 360?
Youth Survey Says [Digital Spy] [Pic]

I'm absolutely aghast that children are being told they are fat... BMI is far from perfect but with children it simply should not be used... A child's BMI can change every month and it is perfectly possible for a child to be stocky, yet still very fit... I would be very concerned if children were using this game and I believe it should carry a warning for parents.

Nintendo's response after the jump:

Nintendo would like to apologize to any customers offended by the in-game terminology used to classify a player's current BMI status, as part of the BMI measurement system integrated into Wii Fit.

Wii Fit is still capable of measuring the BMI for people aged between two and 20 but the resulting figures may not be entirely accurate for younger age groups due to varying levels of development.

Obesity Expert [Daily Mail via videogaming247] [Pic]

The university's technology transfer company then teamed up with Natural Motion, the company the two students, Torsten Reil and Colm Massey, created to build and sell the engine. As such Oxford retains a share in anything Euphoria and Natural Motion should earn down the road. Such as ... Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Oxford's student newspaper (shout out to student media!) has the story. It couldn't get word on exactly how much the university will reap. But considering this is a breakthrough character modeling engine that eliminates the need for pre-made animations, I bet it didn't come cheaply.

Time was, video games were written on old mainframes during after-hours downtime. Now they're coming out of fully approved research and backed by funding from a world class university. Remember that one next time someone complains that this is a frivolous pursuit of ours.

Oxford to Profit from GTA IV [Cherwell, Oxford's student newspaper]

1. Final Fantasty VII

2. Xenogears

3. Seiken Densetsu 3

4. Romancing Saga 3

5. Tactics Ogre

Holy shit! Japanese people really like FF VII. Did not know that. Hit the jump for the rest, along with other thrilling data.

6. Megami Ibunroku Perusona

7. Final Fantasy IX

8. Romancing SaGa 3

9. Saga Frontier

10. Wild Arms 2

Which platforms do they want the remakes to appear on? In order of popularity: PSP, PS3, PS2, DS, Wii and Xbox 360.

The biggest factor polled Dengeki readers would take into account was "improved graphics." That's usually how they do it!
Dengeki Remake Poll [Dengeki Online via Alafista]

In fact, what is most disturbing to me is that Malone's papers aren't cited more often, or indeed, required reading for game designers.

The papers are packed full of little observations which remain as poignant today as ever. For instance, in the 1980 paper Malone notes in the context of the way the game communicates success and failure to the player:

...performance feedback should be presented in a way that minimized the possibility of self-esteem damage.

This is a lesson that a staggering number of videogames have never learned! Most players are easily discouraged, and yet a macho, conqueror-style ethos is still quite prevalent, with failure being met with abuse and ridicule (even in an otherwise charming game such as Katamari Damacy - although at least in this case a touch of humour offsets the problem).

Definitely worth a read through, as most Only a Game posts are.

Malone on Curiosity [Only a Game]

In 2006/07 - the latest year for which data is available - 1,067 children under 15 needed medical assistance for tree falls. In 1999/00 the figure was 1,823.

Meanwhile, the number of youngsters under 15 admitted to A&E after bed falls in 2006/07 was 2,531, up from 2,226 in 1999/2000.

The figures lend weight to the Government's campaign to get more children away from computer games and into the great outdoors.

Thanks Ryan for the tip!

This will help us to develop an emotion and gaming questionnaire to help distinguish the type of gamer who is likely to transfer their online aggression into everyday life.

"I take these weapons, and look at what defines them, or what people think defines them. For an Uzi, people think it fires lots of bullets, and it's really inaccurate." That, he knows, has nothing to do with reality—if anything, Uzis are considered some of the most reliable and accurate submachine guns around. But the 80s (and Miami Vice in particular) offered us the Uzi as a low-life villain's weapon, spit-fire and out-of-control. "So I make it fire faster than it should. It's about taking the personality of a weapon, and making it shine in the game,"

Games Market in China Grew 60% to $1.66 Billion in 2007, Expected to Exceed $3 Billion in 2010, According to Pearl Research

SAN FRANCISCO—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Pearl Research forecasts the online games market in China will exceed $3 billion in 2010. The market grew more than 60% to reach $1.66 billion in 2007. These findings are contained in Pearl Research's exclusive 130-page "Games Market in China" study.

Allison Luong, Managing Director of Pearl Research said, "The year 2007 exceeded expectations with the market growing more than 60%, driven by compelling and diverse content, free-to-play games, and rising demand for leisure and technology products. Chinese-themed and advanced casual games are expected to drive revenues in 2008 and beyond."

"A key trend to track in 2008 is rising average-revenue-per-user (ARPU). Certain online games are reaching $7 to $12 a month in average-revenue-per-user, significantly higher than past averages of $5 or less per month. I believe there is still room for average-revenue-per-user to grow, as game operators enhance monetization efforts from free-to-play games," said Allison Luong.

Pearl Research's key findings:

China's most popular online game, Netease's "Fantasy Westward Journey" has 1.66 million peak concurrent users, followed by Giant's "Zhengtu Online" with 1.52 million peak concurrent users. Successful MMORPGs can be highly profitable. Game operator Giant Interactive generated the majority of its $209 million revenues from one title, "Zhengtu Online."

Game operators in China experienced strong revenue growth in 2007. The biggest gainers were game operators Shanda (up 49% to $338 million), Giant (up 274% to $209 million), The9 (up 30% to $175 million) and Perfect World (up 593% to $95 million). Coinciding with this revenue growth was a wave of initial public offerings (IPOs) by game operators Giant, Perfect World, NetDragon and KingSoft.

The study also contains highlights from Pearl Research's Phoenix Generation research initiative, consisting of more than 200 one-on-one, personalized interviews conducted with Chinese youth. One key finding is that games are a social phenomenon, with gamers often playing casual games to connect with friends and flirt with others. Gamers cite cheating and account thefts as a top reason for abandoning a game and seek out game operators with a reliable reputation.

Pearl Research's "Games Market in China" study provides an in-depth analysis of the Chinese games market. The report contains 2006 to 2011 forecasts; inhibitors and drivers to growth; deep marketplace analysis; profiles of key market players; and strategic conclusions. Please call (+1) 415-738-7660 or email research (at) pearlresearch.com to inquire about this report.

DS Lite Test [Broken Review via DS Fanboy]

1. Sleeping
2. Talking
3. TV
4. Net surfing
5. Reading
6. Listening to music
7. Using the phone
8. Working
9. Computer games
10. Sex

Sex Not That Popular [Mirror via Game|Life] [Pic]

Women are out there in significant numbers playing MMOs, action games, first-person shooters. What is lacking in the equation are women behind these games.

Hit the jump for the full breakdown:

Q). How interested are you in online games?
Really interested 6.1 percent
Quite interested 20.7 percent
Can't say either way 12.4 percent
Not very interested 26.5 percent
Not interested at all 34.3 percent

Q). On what sort of device do you play online games?
Windows PC 27.3 percent
Portable games machine 14.5 percent
Home console 12.9 percent
Mobile phone 9.9 percent
Macintosh 1.1 percent
Other 0.4 percent
Don't play online games 59.9 percent

Q). How long have you been playing online games?
Less than a year 23.7 percent
One to two years 16.9 percent
Two to three years 15.6 percent
Three to four years 8.4 percent
Four to five years 5.3 percent
Five or more years 18.5 percent
No answer 11.6 percent

This and subsequent questions have over 10% no answerers, but the reason for this is not obvious.

Q). About how often do you play online games?
Almost every day 11.3 percent
Four to six days a week 7.5 percent
Two or three days a week 13.1 percent
Once a week 16.9 percent
Less than that 39.1 percent
No answer 12.1 percent

Q). What kinds of online games do you play?
Puzzle game 36.1 percent
Table game 34.6 percent
Card game 28.2 percent
Action game 11.3 percent
Simulation game 10.7 percent
Sports game 9.6 percent
Shooting game 4.5 percent
Race game 3.9 percent
War game 3.2 percent
Other 10.8 percent
No answer 12.6 percent

Q). What image do you have of online games?
Geekish 25.6 percent
Easy to get into 23.1 percent
Expensive to play 21.6 percent
For young people 20.8 percent
Lots of bad-mannered players 17.2 percent
Fun intercourse between players 14.5 percent
Complicated instructions and difficult to understand 13.4 percent
Lots of trouble between players 13.2 percent
Can design my own avatar 11.4 percent
Lots of system trouble 10.1 percent
Beautiful graphics 7.8 percent
Insufficient user support 6.6 percent
Lots of things to do so won't get bored 6.4 percent
Difficult to register 6.2 percent
None of the above 14.9 percent
No answer 3.6 percent

Online Gaming [MyVoice via What Japan Thinks] [Pic]

The second day of MetaverseU had much more of the University in it. While the first day certainly had an academic bent, it also featured discussions of technology developments, products, and practices. TL Taylor led the second day with a discussion of online embodiment, ranging across game and social worlds. Jeremy Bailenson took a more quantitative approach, quickly running through 9 experiments and studies, looking at identity, avatars, and persuasion. (Amazing and fast!) Kari Kraus then took the stage to look at how people are approaching the preservation of virtual worlds.

The whole set of entries relating to Metaverse U is great and worth a look through, if you're into that sort of thing.

Liveblogging MetaverseU: TL Taylor, Jeremy Bailenson, Kari Kraus [Virtual Worlds News]

"Exposure to violent video games, even E rated video games, increases aggressive thoughts, increases pro-social behavior and increases general arousal," said Dr. Greg Snyder, a psychologist at Omaha's Children's Hospital.

Probably not what he meant mind you. Snyder went on to theorize that exposure to violent video games desensitize our children to the real thing.

"The more normal it is, the more likely it is they're going to activate or engage in those behaviors when provoked or even unprovoked," Snyder said.

"Just like any new media, it gets attacked. When any new genre of music comes out, it gets attacked. TV will, of course, get attacked. I'm sure, way back when, books got attacked," Miller said.

Video Games Normalize Killing, Doctors Say [KETV 7 - Thanks Everyone!]

1. PlayStation 2: 62.3 percent
2. Nintendo DS: 55.4 percent
3. Super Famicom: 42.5 percent
4. PlayStation: 37. 5 percent
5. Game Boy: 34.3 percent
6. Game Boy Advance: 31.8 percent
7. Famicom: 28.3 percent
8. NINTENDO64: 25.4 percent
9. PSP: 17 percent
10. Wii: 16.4 percent

Not had enough numbers? There are more! That, after the jump:

Women
1. Nintendo DS: 62 percent
2. PlayStation 2: 58.5 percent
3. Super Famicom: 40.3 percent
4. Game Boy: 36.4 percent
5. PlayStation: 36.2 percent

Men
1. PlayStation 2: 65.7 percent
2. Nintendo DS: 49.3 percent
3. Super Famicom: 44.5 percent
4. PlayStation: 38.8 percent
5. Game Boy: 32.3 percent

Teens
1. PlayStation 2: 64.1 percent
2. Nintendo DS: 55.8 percent
3. Game Boy: 51.1 percent

20s
1. PlayStation 2: 70.2 percent
2. Nintendo DS: 56.9 percent
3. Super Famicom: 42.7 percent

30s
1. PlayStation 2: 60 percent
2. Nintendo DS: 51.1 percent
3. Super Famicom: 39.1 percent

40s
1. Nintendo DS: 58.1 percent
2. PlayStation 2: 54.4 percent
3. Super Famicom: 42.8 percent

Console Data [Oricon via Itai News] [Pic]

The decline, found in both the United States and Japan, appears to have begun in the 1980s and 1990s, the period of rapid growth of video games, they said.

UPDATE: Screen Digest's Ed Barton got in touch to let us know the study covered the Japanese, North American and PAL markets. The skew towards US & British developers is due to the study only taking into account current-gen releases.

Wii
55.4 percent online (June 2007)
52.5 percent online (December 2007)

PS3
56.3 percent online (June 2007)
43.9 percent online (December 2007)

Xbox 360
49 percent online (June 2007)
49.1 percent online (December 2007)

PSP
35 percent online (June 2007)
33.9 percent online (December 2007)

DS
19.4 percent online (June 2007)
16.5 percent online (December 2007)

Another thing that is interesting is why Japanese gamers are connecting to the internet. Here's the breakdown for those who do use the internet and what they use it for:

Online Gaming
Wii: 17.3 percent
PS3: 41.1 percent
Xbox 360: 70.8 percent

System Update
Wii: 69.7 percent
PS3: 83.8 percent
Xbox 360: 84.9 percent

Buying Games
Wii: 43.6 percent
PS3: 37.7 percent
Xbox 360: 31 percent

Browsing Internet
Wii: 39.6 percent
PS3: 31 percent

Wii News Channel, Weather Channel, Etc
Wii: 76.2 percent

Communication via Xbox 360 Games
Xbox 360: 24.5

Online Gaming Research [Nikkei.net via Danny Choo] [Pic]

The whole point about surgery is to execute small, finely controlled movements with your hands, and that is exactly what you get playing... But you don't gain a lot from swinging an imaginary tennis racket.

Gaming is changing how we communicate, how we do business, express ourselves, and meet new people. Collaborative gaming, where thousands of us are working together to create projects in game worlds like EVE Online, Second Life, A Tale in the Desert, or any number of other emerging worlds, forges new ways of playing, and new ways of learning. This is a phenomenon that is changing the world right now, and it's happening without us really noticing. Furthermore, we are, by funding games and gaming-related research, creating the 3D web, the 'metaverse' - or the grid of information that will serve us in the decades to come. Moreover we are guaranteeing the propagation of a medium that engulfs cinema, architecture, music, animation, sculpture, sport, indeed all of culture. Games are a brave new frontier of imagination, art and science, and they've only just begun.

And is that a waste of time?

It's an article that's a nice wrap up of the positives of the industry and playing games at large, and a good read through on a lazy Saturday. I'm not sure gamers will save the world, but I am quite sure we're not the pack of blood thirsty social misfits that popular media occasionally likes to paint a picture of.

How Gamers Will Save The World [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

The major downfall of our ability to track objects is speed. Because once these dots hit the on-screen speed of 0.15 metres per second, subjects were only able to track one dot at a time. I wish that I could put such a speed into real world context, but if you are interested in experiencing the phenomenon for yourself, hit this link to test yourself. It's...humbling at high speeds.

Brain can juggle eight balls at once [newscientist]

Stanford University's Folding@home program is going to be recognized by the Guinness World Records folks as the most powerful distributed computer network in the world, thanks, in part, to the Playstation 3.

"To have Folding@home recognized by Guinness World Records as the most powerful distributed computing network ever is a reflection of the extraordinary worldwide participation by gamers and consumers around the world and for that we are very grateful," said Vijay Pande, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University and Folding@home project lead. "Without them we would not be able to make the advancements we have made in our studies of several different diseases. But it is clear that none of this would be even remotely possible without the power of PS3, it has increased our research capabilities by leaps and bounds."

On September 23, the more than 670,000 PS3 users participating in Folding@home hit the petaflop mark. Grats, Stanford, Sony and gamers, hit the jump for the press release.

PLAYSTATION(R)3 Enables Folding@home(TM) to be Recognized by Guinness World Records(TM) as World's Most Powerful Distributed Computing Network

TOKYO, Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) today announced that PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(R)) computer entertainment systems, part of Stanford University's Folding@home(TM) program, have enabled the distributed computing project to be recognized by Guinness World Records(TM) as the most powerful distributed computing network in the world. The record was initially set on September 16, 2007 as Folding@home surpassed one petaflop(*1), a computing milestone that has never been reached before by a distributed computing network. In addition to this, the collective efforts of our users have enabled PS3 alone to reach the petaflop mark on September 23, 2007.

The record is a testament to the widespread participation of PS3 users from around the world-currently more than 670,000 unique PS3 users have registered to the Folding@home network, bringing the overall computing power of the program to more than a petaflop. Thanks to PS3's powerful Cell Broadband Engine(TM) (Cell/B.E.), scientists will now be able to make greater progress in their studies of protein folding and its link to diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and certain forms of cancer.

"To have Folding@home recognized by Guinness World Records as the most powerful distributed computing network ever is a reflection of the extraordinary worldwide participation by gamers and consumers around the world and for that we are very grateful," said Vijay Pande, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University and Folding@home project lead. "Without them we would not be able to make the advancements we have made in our studies of several different diseases. But it is clear that none of this would be even remotely possible without the power of PS3, it has increased our research capabilities by leaps and bounds."

"To have PS3 play such a large role in allowing Folding@home to be honored by Guinness World Records is truly incredible," said Masayuki Chatani, Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, Technology Platform, Sony
Computer Entertainment Inc. "This record is clear evidence of the power of PS3 and the contributions that it is making to the Folding@home network, and more importantly, scientific research."

The Folding@home program up until recently leveraged only the distributed computing power of personal computers (PC) from around the world. The PCs that made up the Folding@home network numbered roughly 200,000 giving the program the equivalent of about one-quarter of a petaflop. On March 15, 2007, PS3 joined the program and since then more than 670,000 unique PS3 users have registered to the Folding@home network, bringing the overall computing power of the program to more than a petaflop.

Starting with Folding@home, SCE will continue to support distributed computing projects in a wide variety of academic fields such as medical and social sciences and environmental studies through the use of PS3 and hopes to contribute to the advancement of science.

Nick Yee had an unenviable task last week.

The Stanford research assistant and massively multiplayer online gaming expert was flown in to Denver to explain online gaming to a room full of criminal investigators, educators and internet safety experts from area district attorney offices, police departments and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Yee, whose landmark Daedalus Project continues to study behavior in MMOs, hoped to present to these members of Qwest Colorado Coalition for Online Safety a take on online gaming that they may not have heard before: That it can actually be good for you.

"I've had opportunities like this before to give talks like this to non-gamers," he told me last week. "My message isn't that it's all good, what I prefer to say is that there is so much that is missed when the media picks up on it, that there's also the positive side."

"It's not Qwest trying to be an alarmist, I'm not an alarmist," he said. "We're trying to put the full spectrum in front of people."

Yee told the group many things that gamers might already know, that the average age of gamers is 26 to 30, that many online games have robust parental controls to limit both chat access and time playing. But he also went into some interesting discoveries he made over his years in researching the behavioral characteristics of online gamers and the boundary between the virtual and real worlds.

"These online spaces provided unique opportunities," he said. "Teenagers can lead a guild that consists mostly of adults and I don't think people realize how serious and complicated that is. It involves a lot of leadership, a lot of charisma."

"Parents who play these games with their children are given an opportunity to see their kids in a social setting they don't usually have access to. It's also a place where they can let their kids make mistakes in a safer environment."

Some of Yee's other beliefs include that:

• The demographics in typical MMOGs provide unique and potentially valuable social experiences for teenagers.
• It's better to interact with people around the world via MMOGs than to sit in the living room not talking to your family because everyone is watching TV.
• It's important to set reasonable guidelines and time limits regarding MMOGs.
• MMOG environments are a safer and more forgiving social space for making mistakes and learning social dynamics.
• It's possible to develop real-world leadership abilities as a result of playing MMOGs.
• Virtual environments such as "Second Life," are distinct from MMOGs in that they are not games because they do not pose an objective or end goal. Currently, online virtual worlds are unpopular with kids and, thus, not a risk to youth.
• MMOGs show how people respond to tense situations.
• Relationships may form that wouldn't have taken place if initiated face to face in real life.
• Certain demographics and people with existing stressors are more likely to develop problems via the game.
• People in a vulnerable state of mind may latch onto behaviors that provide a temporary sense of control or power.
• It's not about the amount of time people spend playing, but how gaming affects other facets of their life.

After he walked me through his presentation I pointed out to Yee that the crowd, this particularly law-enforcement heavy crowd, would likely have lots of questions about possible links between game playing and increased violence tendencies.

Yee said that while there haven't been a ton of studies done on that for MMO games, the ones that were conducted showed that the belief about crime, violence and games didn't pan out. He added that it is an issue that is quite hard to prove or disprove.

Yee said that last week's Denver talk could be the beginning of an initiative that spreads to the rest of the country. It was too early to tell what it could blossom into, he said, but they were talking about future plans with Qwest.

Sonny Jackson, Denver police spokesman, said the department has two people on the task force because they understand that "knowledge is power."

"It's beneficial to know how gaming works, how it can effect people, how it can effect our society and whether there are any potential dangers we should know about," he said. "And it's important for our crime analysis."

Unscientific poll time: Who regularly plays their Nintendo Wii?
Enterbrain President [IGN]

Despite his frequent misstatements and apparent ignorance on the subject, despite including gay porn in a legal filing, despite his legal harassment of numerous publications, lawyers, judges and anyone else who seems to disagree with him, Jack Thompson manages to get himself on television again this morning as an "expert."

During his appearance on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, Thompson discussed the evils of churches using Halo 3 to minister to a youth audience. And of course he couldn't help but get some facts wrong.

Hit the jump to watch the video and read the relevant Jack quotes, which I've dissected. It does do my heart good to see that he wasn't nearly as over the top this time around as the last time we watched him. Maybe he decided to be a little more careful now that he knows we're checking out what he's saying instead of just accepting his statements as 100 percent truth. Too bad TV talk shows haven't learned to do the same thing.

The Science on this is very settled.
APA in 2005 "found that as a class of people, adolescence and teens that play these violent games become more aggressive, some of them to the point of violence like we saw in Cleveland yesterday.

Let's break this down into two parts:

The science:
While members of the American Psychological Association did release a report in 2005 stating that video games can increase aggressive behavior in children and adolescents, it was actually based on a review of the past 20 years of research.

The Swedish Institute of Public Health did a similar study in 2005, reviewing 30 studies. Their findings? That video games are in fact good for you and that there is "limited evidence for video and computer game playing causing children to choose more aggressive toys - but no evidence for links between video and computer game playing and aggressive feelings, thoughts or behavior, despite these outcomes being well studied."

The Swedish study also points out that there have been six other similar reviews with half showing no connection and half showing a connection. But in those that found a connection "the authors do not distinguish between studies with different designs or between different outcomes, but deal with all the material together. This means that low quality studies influence the conclusions more than can be justified"

So there you have it despite Jack's claims the "science" of this has in no way bee