If high school didn't represent some of the most stressful and awkward years of my life, I'd go back in a flash to play this SAT game on my DS! Think of it as Brain Age with a real tangible result. Would you be more likely to prep for the SATs on your DS than through a book or browser?

SAT Prep Game Coming to DS [GamelLife]

Kid Arrested for Church Fire After Posting About it Online [YouTube - WGEM Report]

So wait, these kids get to play Nintendo Wii in school? All I got for finishing my work quickly was first dibs on Carmen Sandiego and Oregon Trail. Actually, never mind. I didn't have it so bad after all.

Brit's School Mantra [via opposablethumbs]

After the student's arrest, around 40 police officers patrolled the campus. When police searched the student's room, they found no weapons. Court documents have since shown that the student claimed "he was joking and had no intention of following through with the threats."

Misdemeanor charges filed against FSU gamer [via theinquirer]

Earlier, we posted about student-made DS games that have hit Japan. Reader Ryan, the trooper that he is, sent some pics and a hands-on description. He writes:

Thanks to Kotaku I learned about those Japanese student DS games that Nintendo is making available on it's download kiosks. I know that those who can't try these games might be interested, so I decided to throw together a little sampling.

I downloaded the game where you draw pictures corresponding to music in order to communicate with extraterrestrials. ...The premise of the game seems to be that clues to a riddle are given through the lyrics of a song, meanwhile you are given cues to draw certain shapes in specific regions of the screen. For example, in the center of the screen; draw a pocket, on the top of the screen; draw a wrench, and slowly a Beetle drawing emerges. At the end it asks you what the song and drawing is eluding to, and this will answer the riddle. It's rather charming, and I was surprised by the production quality. If I wasn't told ahead of time, I might not have realized this was created by students.

Wow! I wasn't expecting these student games to look like, well, actual games. That you could play. Nintendo can sure scout 'em, huh? Brian Ashcraft

Not exploiting in a bad way, but a good way. Nintendo Co., Ltd. is making games developed by students at its Nintendo Seminar 2006 available for download via the DS Station. Starting late last week and appearing every two weeks after that, the games are totally free. Games include one that has players swing a steel ball to destroy obstacles and help mice captured by cats or another one that has players shout things at inappropriate times. These games, like so many good things, are Japan only. Brian Ashcraft

The Dark Side [Eurogamer]

We must thank these fine people for a live action version of PaRappa the Rapper. Now if they could just explain what the hell is going on. Actually, we can. This is Andreas Wieslander's Bachelor's Thesis, who enlightens:

It's a project about marketing games through live performances, in order to focus on the games feel, rather than its graphics and sfx. This idea has been applied to the game PaRappa the Rapper to PlayStation.

Hit the jump for the original version. Brian Ashcraft

Hate school? Loathe English? Live in Korea? You're in luck! Game companies there don't look at things like foreign language ability or GPAs for prospective game developers. Instead, whether or not the individual can function on little or no sleep or long hours and little pay matter. Says NCsoft's Lee Hwa-soo:

English and grades are not important. We rarely look at the name of the university they graduated from or the grades they earned. English is also not a must in many job positions.

So they check the applicant's pulse? Brian Ashcraft

Get That Nose To That Grindstone [The Korea Times]

First, it was American kids sweating it out on a DDR. Now, it's Japanese junior and senior high schoolers studying English via the Nintendo DS. Starting this September, students in Kyoto Prefecture's Yawata City spend the first ten minutes of class, studying vocab on their portables. Says a Yawata City teacher:

The students are getting accustomed to using the DS and are studying enthusiastically. Progress can be expected.

Thanks to traditionally poor language instruction in the classroom, English is notoriously difficult for many Japanese. The software includes 1900 words for high school students and 1800 words for junior high student. They practice writing the words on the touch screen, and the DS emits the correct pronunciation for new vocab. There's talk of expanding this program elsewhere and plans to introduce Kanji software as well. These classroom applications for the DS are a no brainer, really. Brian Ashcraft

Study Hard Kids! [Yomiuri]

"Our data support the recommendation that parents limit weekday television and video game time to less than one hour and restrict access to adult media by limiting exposure to cable movie channels and R-rated movies and videos," wrote the study's author, Dr. Iman Sharif of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

The number of students who had poor performance rose as weekday television screen time surpassed three hours and time spent playing video games rose past one hour on weekdays, found the study.

Wow. So, more time dedicated to beating hookers to death with a 9-iron might lead to poor school performance? Consider us stunned! Michael McWhertor

Too much time with TV, video games cuts school performance: study

Real life college professor Ed Lamoureaux is Professor Beliveau in Second Life. He is teaching an in-game college class on multi-media. In an interview with SL site NMC Campus Observer, Ed is asked whether or not it is a good idea to invite college students into Second Life, due to questionable areas in the game. His response?

I'm gonna teach a field research class [in SL], and if I taught a field research class in Peoria, Illinois, you know, we've got three strip clubs, or four strip clubs actually, within four miles.

Not that anyone is counting, Ed. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Flicker Gaming]

Pac-Man's creator has left the Namco building to go teach future game developers. The self-taught Toru Iwatani worked at Namco for almost thirty years, but had been more on the administration end of late and less on the creative side.

Recently, he lectured on game planning at Tokyo Polytechnic University and taught at the University of Arts in Osaka as a visiting professor. Iwatani recalls that he experienced youngster's passion for gaming and took Tokyo Polytechnic's offer to become a full-time lecturer. He explains his M.O.:

It will become very hard to train staff in-house, as was done in the past. As a result, the educational institutions must follow through. However, Japan is far behind in the field of game education compared with the US, Europe, Korea, and China.

Aren't you all warm and fuzzy, right now? Mr. Pac-Man is ditching his high paying front office job to teach pimply-faced otaku. And he isn't just doing it for the youth, but for Japan. How sweet. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [GameSpot]

Wired has a great article up, detailing India's rise as a gamer society and the proliferation of cybercafes and gaming tournaments through India's growing middle class. India today is China of 2001: A rumbling cluster of highly compressed gamers ready to explode in a Big Bang across the entirety of the subcontinent.

One thing that the article mentions is currently hampering gaming from really catching on in India is the lack of Indian themed games, "with Hindu gods and Bollywood music." However, they note that we can probably expect the market to be flooded by games with names like Full Thang-Ta Warrior and Mecha-Shiva soon.

Another problem mentioned is the importance given to schools in an intensely competitive academic culture. There's just no time to game with all that book learning. That's why I dropped out of high school... suckers. Florian Eckhardt

Counter-Strike, India Style [Wired]

Summer vacation! And if you lived in China, you'd jet over to the local internet cafe and play some MMO until your eyes bled. Well, you would have if the Chinese government weren't such a big wet blanket. The country's MInistry of Culture is kicking off a campaign to monitor internet cafes from July 1st to September 30th this year. This crackdown will keep kids out of the cafes and on the street, where they can do safe things like play in traffic. Middle school teachers are being hired to serve as internet cafe supervisors. School's out? Yeah, right. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Pacific Epoch] via Joystiq

Deprived of a rich gaming background by overprotective parents? Can't keep up with the witty banter at your local network gaming establishment (do these even exist anymore?)? Keep embarassing yourself in front of friends and relatives when asked to make speeches at Zaxxon-themed bar mitzvahs?

Roffling reader Chris sent in a link to his blog where he is hosting a PDF of a final exam paper from the University of Teesside School of Computing, where one of his hapless friends has enrolled in the History of Games course:

16) Many videogames contain undocumented secrets in the form of mini-games, extra characters, levels etc. What are these secrets commonly known as?

a) Monkey nuts.
b) Christmas gifts.
c) Magic moments.
d) Easter eggs.
e) Trap doors.

I actually like "monkey nuts" a hell of a lot better. Thanks Chris! eliza gauger

Now this is an education... [True Player]

While searching for retro gaming stuff, reader Cliff stumbled across these images of carnival games from a college. Details are scant, but with "Astronomy Club Presents Space Invaders", what else do you need? Hit the jump for the Dunt Hunt catridge booth. Brian Ashcraft

Space Invaders
Duck Hunt Thanks, Cliff!

Brainy dude Henry Jenkins chatted with GameSetWatch. Jenkins is the Director of Comparative Media Studies and Full Professor of Literature at MIT. Boing Boing's Cory Doctorow has described him as "one of us: a geek, a fan, a popcult packrat" and Will Wright pointed out that "Henry Jenkins offers crucial insight into an unexpected and unforeseen future." Jenkins isn't our cheerleader, but a visionary, pointing out not only on what games are, but what they can and could be.

Great, that's fine and dandy. But does he actually play them?

I don't have long periods of time to play games (not and do everything else my job requires) and I am not particularly well coordinated so I don't end up getting to play as many hardcore titles as I might like. I try to make a point of spending some time with most of the more innovative or controversial titles to hit the market. I often get to talk directly with the designers about what they were trying to achieve. And sometimes I end up paying students to walk me through levels of a game so I can get a clear sense of what's going on.

Coolest part-time job at MIT, bar none. Brian Ashcraft

Read the Rest Here [GameSetWatch]

Kotakuite Mirai Mat sent along this super cute Kirby pinata his lady friend made for her high school Spanish class. Kirby soon after had his head bashed in. The horror. Brian Ashcraft

Probably Had Tootise Rolls for Brains [Wiki]

Doko Demo Issho ("Everywhere's the Same") is one of Sony's more off-beat titles. The animal sim has players teach Toro the white cat new words. The PSP version is getting a sequel called Doko Demo Issho: Let's Gakkou! ("Let's School!" Totally! Let's!) As part of a campaign, the lovely people at Sony Computer Entertainment have put together a study bundle that includes a ceramic white PSP, the Let's Gakkou! UMD software, a branded pencil case and a ball point for 28,140 yen (about US $250). This way kids can at least appear like they're studying while sneaking Doko Demo in class. —Brian Ashcraft

Product Info Here [PlayStation]

Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) is creating a new degree program in hopes of supplying the city's upstart gaming industry with a ready work-force. "This will keep young people from having to leave Louisiana," says Mayor Kip Holden. "They can stay right here in Baton Rouge, earn a good living and at the same time, be a part of a growing dynamic industry."

Nerjyzed Entertainment is working with the community college to develop a workforce through a 2-year program for video game design. "Our students are going to have the opportunity to be trained and eligible for high paying positions in the film industry, in the digital media industry," says BRCC Chancellor Dr. Myrtle E.B. Dorsey. The company will employ about 80 people with salaries up to $75,000 a year.

But what happens when those positions are filled? Where do the students at BRCC find employment? Certainly, the idea is that this company will attract other companies and before you know it, Baton Rogue with be crawling with developers. Louisiana's had a rough time recently, but something about this reeks of desperation. That being said, I do hope this works out for the city.

Story Here [WAFB] Thanks, Gavin!

Frat boy fav CollegeHumor.com has a live action version of Final Fantasy. That is, if Final Fantasy starred polo-shirt wearing undergrads. It looks like these guys put a ton of work into the vid. Sure beats studying.

Watch It Here [CollegeHumor] Thanks, Jeff!

"The high tech game isn't necessarily an interesting game. Above all, the most important thing for a fun game is the power of unique conception." So says Shigeru Miyamoto in a message to prospective applicants for the 2006 Nintendo Seminar. Started back in 2004, the seminar lasts 10 months and gives students a look at the various aspects of the industry. Attendees learn directing, programming, graphic design and sound.

The program isn't in Nintendo's Kyoto HQ, but out of their Tokyo office. Regardless, Miyamoto and company honcho Satoru Iwata are both expected to put in facetime. Send applications (in Japanese only) via the company's website, and note that there are written examination and interview. From this, forty students will be selected. Entry deadline is May 8th.

Apply Here [Nintendo]

Full Story Here [NinthWaveDesigns] Thanks, Chilly!

Each of the teams were given envelopes that contained four different verbs, two of which had to be incorporated into the game. Glu Mobile's Robert Nashak said, "We eliminated anything that sounds like a video game, like 'fight.'" As teams worked against the clock, pro game designers stopped by to offer advice. The contest began to take its toll on the teams. "My eyes aren't drooping," said one contestant, "but my body wants to turn off." Call it training for when these students graduate.

Article Here [MTV]