Society

News

Study Finds 1980s Gamers Less Likely To Be University Graduates

11:30AM April 9, 2011 | Owen Good

A researcher at Oxford University queried adults who were 16 years old in 1986 and found a correlation between an interest in video gaming and a lower likelihood of going on to university. More »


In Real Life

Nielsen Survey Finds Black Gamers Spend The Most Time Playing Consoles

2:00AM April 3, 2011 | Owen Good

Nielsen, the folks who measure every single thing that is or could possibly be done with a television set, have released an analysis of gaming habits by ethnicity, finding that African-Americans game the most per day, on average, Asian-Americans the least. More »


PC

The Bleak Despair Of Abject Poverty In Video Game Form

6:00AM March 1, 2011 | Mike Fahey

You’ve lost your job, your house, and your savings are completely gone. Can you survive for a month on $US1000? That’s the challenge put forth in the game Spent. Are you up to it? More »


In Real Life

We’ve Been Playing Games For 4000 Years

6:00AM February 10, 2011 | Mike Fahey

Almost one out of every 10 artifacts unearthed from the ruins of the ancient city of Mohenjo-daro in present-day Pakistan were play related. Have archaeologists been underestimating the social significance of play and games? More »


In Real Life

Tetris Makes World Spending A Little More Understandable

1:30PM January 27, 2011 | Owen Good

Last night President Obama delivered the State of the Union. Written for posterity, perhaps, it’s still a policy speech, and policy costs. Here’s “Debtris,” reminding everyone that, a bilion here, a billion there, pretty soon you’re talking about real money. More »


News

Alcoholics Stay Out Of Trouble Thanks To Video Game

10:30AM April 24, 2010 | Owen Good

If I’m Not Drunk, the satire “game” about DUI, was too subtle in its message of how pathetic you are when you’re drunk, there’s now Guardian Angel, which takes a more proactive stance in helping alcoholics avoid relapse. More »


In Real Life

This Drunk Driving ‘Game’ Actually Has A Message

12:30PM April 21, 2010 | Owen Good

newVideoPlayer( {"type":"video","player":"http://www.youtube.com/v/5W5FY18AOEI&hl=en&fs=1&fmt=22","customParams":[] ,"width":570,"height":412,"ratio":0.824,"flashData":"","embedName":null,"objectId":null,"noEmbed":false,"source":"youtube"} );

As Kotaku’s resident deplorable alcoholic, expectations for me are low enough that not only can I post something this reprehensible, it’s practically expected. So here’s the problem of drunk driving imagined as a 1990s-style game – note, this game doesn’t exist. More »


In Real Life

Army Toughens Training For Generation ‘Softened’ By Games

10:20AM March 24, 2010 | Owen Good

The Army is remaking its basic training for the first time in 30 years to cope with a generation that, as the general in charge says, has a courage and physique shaped by, you guessed it, video games. More »


In Real Life

Family Guy Teaches Us How To Drive – Using Grand Theft Auto

2:30PM January 5, 2010 | Owen Good

Last night on a very special Family Guy: When Peter loses his memory, he needs to re-learn everything. That includes driving. Trouble follows when Lois hooks him up to the murder simulator. More »


News

Games Watchdog Looks Back Before Turning Out The Lights

10:30AM December 20, 2009 | Owen Good

As reported earlier, the National Institute on Media and the Family, whose key funding dried up in a terrible economy, is closing. Founder Dave Walsh talked with the Associated Press, and reflected on his organisation’s influence in the industry. More »