Gaming http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/ en Copyright 2009 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:04:00 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.35 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Good Times at National Gaming Day National Gaming Day at the Undergraduate Library was a success. Our crack Super Smash Bros. Brawl Team was narrowly defeated in the first round of the National Tournament. But that did not dampen the mood at the event that ran from 1:00pm - 5:00pm on Saturday November, 14. Many attended an Animation and Graphic Design workshop led by Brandon Smith, a graphics programmer for the Energy Bioscience Institute at the University of Illinois. Other opted to play a variety of games on consoles ranging from the XBox 360 to the Sega Genesis. All and all, it was a great showcase of the of many aspects of the Undergraduate Library Gaming Collection and showed the role games and gaming can play in the campus community.

If you didn't get a chance to attend, Joshua Beckman's Animation and Graphic Design workshop was recorded and is available at: http://www.library.illinois.edu/gaming/events.html.

Pictures by Joshua Beckman of the Daily Illini can be found here:
http://www.dailyillini.com/multimedia/photo/students-observe-national-gaming-day#http://www.dailyillini.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/630_wide//sites/default/files/imce/articles/photo/2009/November/1116/Gaming%20Slideshow/Winner_NationalGamingDay_01.jpg

]]> http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/11/fun_at_national_gaming_day.html http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/11/fun_at_national_gaming_day.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:04:00 -0600 Video games or Interactive Commercials? In-Game Advertising The new Hyundai Genesis Coupe will be featured in the new "Forza Motorsports 3" as downloadable content (DLC) as Microsoft and Hyundai have announced a promotional partnership.

The advertising and promotion of real life products in video games is becoming a common industry trend. With bands like Metallica and Oasis, promoting new albums by releasing them as DLC for games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero or the Obama Campaign buying ad space in Madden, consumers might find it more difficult to draw the line between new game content and swag.
What does this all mean?

For one, marketing companies are paying more and more attention to video games. In 2006 the Nielsen Company, a leader in media marketing, announced the creation of GamePlay Metrics, a video game rating service for marketing companies.

Gaming companies are not shying away from this ever increasing revenue stream. Screen Digest, a media industry analyst company based in London, believes the in game advertising market will hit $1 billion by 2014

It appears that gamers don't seem to mind the new emphasis on promotion. A Nielsen study shows that 82% of gamers surveyed did not mind ads in video games and there was a 61% increase in favorable opinions of products advertised in games. Video games offer marketing companies new ways to dynamically target certain audiences with their ads.

So for the next car you buy, be sure to download it to your PS3 first.

Neat Links on In-Game Advertising (IGA):

More on the Microsoft-Hyundai Partnership
http://forzamotorsport.net/en-us/_templates/NewsDetail.aspx?id=2901

Really cool article on the IGA Industry:
http://www.adweekmedia.com/aw/content_display/custom-reports/gaming/e3i2fb2f531735004814b71a7476b8a32ac

Article on Obama Ads in Games:
http://adage.com/digitalnext/article?article_id=131675

Gama Sutra Entry on Nielsen GamePlay Metrics:
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=11307

Screen Digest forcast of IGA Industry:
http://www.screendigest.com/press/releases/pr_26_05_2009/view.html

Microsoft Advertising Community blog posting on IGA by JJ Richards:
http://community.microsoftadvertising.com/blogs/analytics/archive/2009/10/05/in-game-advertising-facts-are-stubborn-things.aspx

]]> http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/11/video_games_or_interactive_com.html http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/11/video_games_or_interactive_com.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:32:27 -0600 Gaming Careers info updated We've updated our gaming careers information and created a new heading on the main Gaming page. Check out all the information we have on getting a career in gaming, including:

* Recommended Classes at UIUC
* Gaming job descriptions and classes that match them
* A link to the Gamasutra job board, one of the primary places to search for jobs in the industry

Want to know more? Let us know what you'd like to see - email dh-ward at illinois.edu

]]> http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/10/gaming_careers_info_updated.html http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/10/gaming_careers_info_updated.html Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:23:27 -0600 Russia shows interest in global gaming industry; Creates Gaming Commission After decades of insular PC only game development, Russia is looking to expands is influence on the gaming industry. The first step seems to be the creation of the National Gaming Commission. The new agency will begin operations on October.

Read the article at Kotaku: http://kotaku.com/5361224/russia-creates-national-games-commission

]]> http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/09/russia_shows_interest_in_globa.html http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/09/russia_shows_interest_in_globa.html Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:12:47 -0600 UC Irvine Establishes Games Research Center From Kotaku:
http://kotaku.com/5353661/uc+irvine-establishes-games-research-center

The "Center for Computer Games & Virtual Worlds" will be an interdisciplinary effort led by the School of Information and Computer Science, and featuring an initial 20 faculty from across disciplines. The goals of the Center, according to Senior Research Scientist Walter Scacchi, are:
"“We now realize that scientific and cultural achievements go beyond the current concepts of what games and virtual worlds are good for, or how they may be developed or applied,” Scacchi said. “The center will support our research in demonstrating the sustained ability to invent and reinvent the future of computer games and virtual worlds.”"

More details on the UC Irvine News Release page: http://www.today.uci.edu/news/nr_gamecenter_090901.php

]]> http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/09/uc_irvine_establishes_games_re.html http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/09/uc_irvine_establishes_games_re.html Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:44:49 -0600 New research on how games change your brain MSNBC reports on a just-published study (http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/09/01/2049186.aspx) of the physical changes on brains resulting from playing video games, specifically Tetris.

"The researchers analyzed the brain changes in the game-playing group compared with the control group, and they found that the Tetris players' brain function became more efficient in areas linked to critical thinking, reasoning, language and information processing..." which duplicated results from a 1992 study. They measured changes in cortical thickness in a variety of brain areas to assess the effects.

The researcher "...had hoped that he and his colleagues would come up with a mechanism to explain in physiological terms how the brain became more efficient through game-playing." While this didn't happen, the research results do form an important starting point for investigating and discovering these mechanisms.

The full research article is published here:
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1756-0500/2/174/abstract


]]> http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/09/new_research_on_how_games_chan.html http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/09/new_research_on_how_games_chan.html Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:53:29 -0600 A computer game would be a break through to finding sustainable new energy sources "This is a whole new trend in tackling problem solving," says April Orr, Assistant Director of Member Research and Technology for the ACS — the world's largest scientific society — and the experiment's manager. "It is a 'collaborative think' project," Orr added. "It leverages the intellectual power of chemists for the greater good. The idea is to get chemists to engage and think about how to solve future energy challenges. It is a computer game, but one with serious goals." Read more.

]]> http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/08/a_computer_game_would_be_a_bre.html http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/08/a_computer_game_would_be_a_bre.html Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:24:33 -0600 Meet TowerMadness, the cheat-resistant 3D Iphone game Aliens are stealing your beloved sheep and you’ve got to stop them. That’s the premise for TowerMadness, a new 3D iPhone game that is one of the most cheat-resistant iPhone games available, according to its developers from University of California, San Diego. Read more

]]> http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/08/meet_towermadness_the_cheatres.html http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/08/meet_towermadness_the_cheatres.html Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:44:51 -0600 Play FunSAT games, harness your abilities to strategize, visualize and understand complex systems. The online logic puzzle is called FunSAT (http://funsat.eecs.umich.edu), and it could help integrated circuit designers select and arrange transistors and their connections on silicon microchips, among other applications.
University of Michigan computer science researchers reveal. Read more

]]> http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/07/play_funsat_games_harness_your.html http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/07/play_funsat_games_harness_your.html Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:37:31 -0600 Latest on gaming statistics: gaming Vs television among the minorities The first comprehensive survey of video game characters, encompassing the top 150 games in a year across nine platforms and all rating levels, and weighted by each title's popularity, shows that the video game industry does no better than television in representing American society. Research says so. Read more

]]> http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/07/latest_on_gaming_statistics_ga.html http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/07/latest_on_gaming_statistics_ga.html Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:55:41 -0600 Fight obesity and diabetes in children, encourage them to play active video games Scientists at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center have found that playing active video games can be as effective for children as moderate exercise. A research from American Academy of Pediatrics says so. Read more.

]]> http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/07/fight_obesity_and_diabetes_in.html http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/07/fight_obesity_and_diabetes_in.html Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:47:10 -0600 Improve your kids’ health by encouraging them play online promotional health foods games Children who play an online game promoting healthy foods and beverages appear more likely to choose nutritious snacks than those who play a game promoting unhealthy products, according to a new report.

]]> http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/07/improve_your_kids_health_by_en.html http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/07/improve_your_kids_health_by_en.html Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:30:31 -0600 Great stuff on Gaming and Gender Gender and Gaming has long been the focus for many researchers across many disciplines. Getting to that research has always been somewhat of an arduous task. Carrie Heeter and Brian Winn of Michigan State's Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media took it upon themselves to create a gateway to much of that research. Their creation was Investigaming. The site currently maintains 410 citations, 319 abstracts, and 217 full text artictles all on gender, gaming and computing. The collection includes both academic and industry research from 1982 to present and can be searched through keywords or tag clouds. It is a fine resource for both scholars of gaming and/or gender or students who are interested in exploring the intersections of gender and gaming.

]]> http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/07/great_stuff_on_gaming_and_gend.html http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/07/great_stuff_on_gaming_and_gend.html Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:16:26 -0600 Video Game Art!?! Some Archives If you are fan of video game art work, take a look at the site Creative Uncut. The site has compiled an impressive collection of video game artwork through various press releases and manual scans. CU along with the video game screen captures archive @ http://www.archive.org/details/gamevideos are great ways for the video game or art enthusiastic to spend endless hours and find countless new desktop backgrounds.

]]> http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/07/video_game_art_some_archives.html http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/07/video_game_art_some_archives.html Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:02:25 -0600 Online school to offer game-based course Florida Virtual School (FLVS) is set to launch what it describes as the first complete online game-based course. The game is called Conspiracy Code and is equal to a full credit American history course. The game is developed by 360Ed Inc and meets both national and state standards. FLVS believes the course is "poised to transform online learning."

Read the press release from FLVS here: http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/06-02-2009/0005036506&EDATE=

And a couple articles on the course here: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=59030

And here: http://www.physorg.com/news163334545.html

Also here is the 360Ed Inc website where you can watch a video demo of the game: http://www.360ed.com/

]]> http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/06/online_school_to_offer_gamebas.html http://www.library.uiuc.edu/blog/gaming/2009/06/online_school_to_offer_gamebas.html Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:07:35 -0600