Study

News

Is There Such A Thing As Killing For Greater Good?

4:40AM December 9, 2011 | Brian Crecente

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. More »


News

The Problem With Pathological Gaming Studies

5:20AM December 7, 2011 | Mike Fahey

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. More »


News

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

6:20AM November 30, 2011 | Mike Fahey

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? More »


In Real Life

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

3:00PM November 10, 2011 | Owen Good

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. More »


News

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

7:00AM September 17, 2011 | Matthew Buzzi

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. More »


Mobile

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

9:00AM September 12, 2011 | Owen Good

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. More »


News

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

3:20AM August 31, 2011 | Mike Fahey

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. More »


In Real Life

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

4:00PM August 19, 2011 | Owen Good

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. More »


News

Survey Says You’ll Spend About Two Years Playing Video Games

10:30AM July 15, 2011 | Owen Good

A promotional survey taken by a video game price comparison site turns up an interesting stat: The average gamer will spend just under two years of his or her life, in combined time, playing video games. More »


News

Computer Learns To Play Civilization By Reading The Instruction Manual

10:30AM July 14, 2011 | Owen Good

Starting from nothing, a computer taught itself to read the instruction manual for Civilization and saw its rate of victory jump from 46 per cent to 79 per cent. More »