In Real Life

There’s More Cussin’ In Teen Novels Than Video Games, Swears Researcher

You might not expect a study coming out of Brigham Young University’s School of Family Life to have anything good to say about video games. And maybe this doesn’t. But it says something a lot worse about books, and I’ll take that as a win in this culture war.


February 21, 2012
In Real Life

Hey MMO Fans — Feel Like Answering Some Questions?

Kotaku AU

Crazy admission time: I have never, absolutely never played an MMORPG of any kind. So I’m totally not eligible to take part in this study — which looks at the habits of those who play MMOs — but I reckon some of you guys probably are! So how about it? Anyone interested in taking part in a reputable study?


December 9, 2011
News

Is There Such A Thing As Killing For Greater Good?

Could you kill one person to save five? The famous “trolley problem” thought experiment in ethics got a high-tech makeover recently when researchers recreated the scene, the choices, and the violent, bloody, loud repercussions using a computer simulation, joystick and a head-mounted 3D display.


December 7, 2011
News

The Problem With Pathological Gaming Studies

Is gaming addiction a real psychological affliction that should be recognised by the American Psychiatric Association? According to some studies as many as 10 per cent of all gamers could be considered gaming addicts. A new study from Texas A&M’s Christopher J. Ferguson explains how those studies are doing it wrong.


November 30, 2011
News

Scientists Prove Once Again That Playing Violent Video Games Alters Young Men’s Brains

In a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America earlier this week, researchers believe they’ve found proof that violent video games alter the portion of the brain responsible for controlling emotion and aggressive behaviour. How many times are we going to prove this?


November 10, 2011
In Real Life

Million-Dollar Grant Seeks To Spark Young Gamers’ Interest In Science

The National Science Foundation is funding a project at N.C. State University [pictured above] to develop a video game that helps improve computer science knowledge retention in middle school kids.


September 17, 2011
News

Study On Effects Of Violent Games: Blame The Player, Not The Game

A study by Villanova University psychologist Patrick Markey suggests that the personality of the person playing a video game is more likely the cause of violent behaviour than the actual content of the game.


September 12, 2011
Mobile

Study Tries To Break Down Who Buys In-Game Items—by Race

A study found that whites and, by a slighter margin, blacks were more likely to account for purchases of in-game items from mobile games, in a study that examined purchasing habits by ethnicity. What it seeks to prove, I have no idea, but the mobile entertainment portal MocoSpace sounds pretty smug that it’ll change the face of mobile games development.


August 31, 2011
News

It’s Video Game Competition, Not Violence, That Sparks Aggression

Do violent video games cause aggressive behaviour? According to a recent report published in the journal Psychology of Violence, the competitive aspect of gaming is more likely to generate aggro than mere violence. All this from a bunch of university students, some video games, and some hot sauce. Science is an amazing thing.


August 19, 2011
In Real Life

Nine Out Of 10 Will Not Finish The Game They Are Playing

Just 10 percent of gamers actually finish a game, an industry veteran told CNN in a recent feature, and his colleagues and other figures back him up. “Ninety percent of players who start your game will never see the end of it unless they watch a clip on YouTube,” says Keith Fuller.