Dr. Kimberly Thompson Responds Posted August 24, 2006 at 12:48 AM by staticneuron Filed under: DS  GBA  PC Games  PS3  PSP  Wii  Xbox 360  Thank our lucky stars! The researcher lovingly mocked for Violent Pac-Man allusions has responded. Not only did she respond but she gave an interview to Joystiq. Those guys gave her a fair interview and she came off sounding less like a raving anti-game lunatic and more like a researcher who was taken out of context. To Give her the same level of fairness on UN the links that she provided are here [gamepolitics.com] and here [House testimony]  and here [ Kid Risk Homepage]. Enjoy! Permalink  |  Comments (0) Video Games desensitizes! Posted July 29, 2006 at 10:42 PM by staticneuron Filed under: DS  GBA  PC Games  PS3  PSP  Wii  Xbox 360  Recently, a report from medical website WebMD claims that video games desensitizes players to real world violence. From the article:  "Carnagey's team studied 257 college students -- 124 men and 133 women. "First, the students noted their typical video game use. They also took aggression surveys and had their heart rate and galvanic skin response checked." "Next, the students played either a violent or nonviolent video game for 20 minutes." "When the game session ended, the students repeated the heart rate and galvanic skin response tests. Both groups showed similar results." "The students' last task: Watch a 10-minute videotape of real-life violence (shootings, prison fights, police confrontations, and courtroom outbursts)." "During the screening, the researchers monitored the students' heart rate and galvanic skin responses." "Students who had played violent video games showed less physiological response to the real-life videos." "The study "demonstrates that violent video game exposure can cause desensitization to real-life violence," write Carnagey and colleagues." "Which medium is most desensitizing -- TV, movies, or video games? And are some people more affected than others?" I took excerpts but I assure you, the point that was trying to be made is the same. These types of studies are always used to prove cases in court and fuels the speculation of the effects of violence in video games on kids. As a person who has played video games and watched movies all his life and happened to experience "real-life violence", I find this study irresponsible and blatently false. There is a world of difference between watching "real-life" violence on a screen or monitor and seeing it happen in front of you in real life. This has to do with association. The thought processes that are going through your head are different when you are safely away from the violence to when you are put up close and personal to it. Your rational thought is bucked when you witness a violent act being commited in front of you. Even if the aggressor has a good reason or seems sane, most people's fear of thier own mortality comes into play and brings in the "what if" situations. Even if people are not thinking about themselves the next mental jump is to sympathize with the victim. Even if the victim has done wrong, if the violence breaks the parallel's of your sense of justice, you will immediatley begin to associate yourself with the victim. Video Games and movies have elements of glorified violence. It facinates people and people enjoy seeing it because they can associate with the concept of mortality. If you had a film in which both the protagonist and the antognist never became injured and didn't have the possibility of dying you would have a tough time getting the audience to empathize with the characters. If there is no tragedy, then what is the point? A Study using "real-life" violence shown on a television screen to compare to actual "real-life" violence in the "real-world" should be taken with a grain of salt. Show a group of people , that normally doesn't watch movies or play video games, videos of the starving kids in africa and then ask them how many feel compelled to donate money for the cause. I am absolutly sure, without one iota of doubt in my mind, that more people out of the group would be compelled to donate money if you actually put them on a plane and flew them to an actual shanty town for a day. Is this a bad thing? Is it Ok for people to not care? In this age of technology and media, our societies would crumble if the majority of thier citizens started empathizing with what happens on thier television screens. And that is without adding to the fact that some unscrupulous people would use peoples sympathie for thier own gain. The Way I see it is that the world is getting better instead of worse and irrevelant studies like these do nothing but wastes people's time, money and attention. Read Permalink  |  Comments (0) Square-Enix Pre-E3 Conference Posted May 08, 2006 at 6:41 PM by phunk Filed under: DS  Events  GBA  PS3  PSP  In the first of many Pre-E3 conferences, Square-Enix pulls a fast one by announcing the latest addition to the Final Fantasy franchise, Final Fantasy XIII; making this the thirteenth installment of the Final Fantasy series! According to Gamespot, Final Fantasy XIII will be an action-based game, featuring "extreme action elements."  The game's story  will revolve around "those who resist the world." and is said to feature the most technologically advanced civilization ever featured in a Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy XIII will be released on the Playstation 3.  The game is being created by the same team responsible for Kingdom Hearts. Also, several other known titles were shown in a bit more depth than before: Dawn of Mana Final Fantasy V Final Fantasy VI  Rocket Slime Final Fantasy XII Final Fantasy XI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan expansion Final Fantasy III DS Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus ... Stay tuned for more news on this, as well as other exciting titles.  E3 hasn't even started yet and things are taking a turn for the better! Read Permalink  |  Comments (0) E3 Information Posted May 07, 2006 at 1:17 PM by johann Filed under: DS  Events  GBA  PC Games  PS3  PSP  Wii  Xbox 360  The following are links to everything you would want to know about E3 as a gamer. These sites will have streaming media coverage of the event. Our exclusive media coverage of E3 is coming very soon as well, so stick around! IGN's comprehensive list of E3 2006 games Microsoft's coverage Sony's coverage Nintendo's coverage For all the official news from the ESA themselves. This site includes maps, listings, and corperate details. Follow the link to E3 insider. Read Permalink  |  Comments (0)

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