Monthly Archives: March 2009

Academics Unaffected By Video Games/Mobile Phones

A childs academic performance is unlikely to be negatively affected by either mobile phones or video games says new research. In a three year study on 12 year olds, it was found that cell phones did not adversely affect grades. The study was published by the IADIS, Barcelona, Spain.

Playing video games had a positive effect on visual-spatial skills. They did not seem to have any effect on mathematical skills. The child can think better in pictures and images due to video games. As a result they may perform better in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
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Adult Video Games Should Have Adult Ratings

It has been a while since the issue of adult video games having adult ratings has come up and it is long overdue. The video game industry, long marginalized has come into its own now. Spielberg, Peter Jackson, James Cameron and other big names have shown interest in this domain. Video games are very much mainstream entertainment now. They are no longer just for teens in bedrooms. In terms of revenue and content produced this industry now rivals the film industry.

Now with so many violent games being released, it comes as no surprise that there is a need for a rating system for video games everywhere. Australia is the only developed country not to have a video games classification category. Most gamers in Australia were of the view that adult video games should have an R18+ rating.

The proposed R18+ classification in Australia would not result in too much gory violence or explicit sex becoming available in a video game. A consistent and content specific classification system would give customers the ability to make informed choices.

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Children More Likely To Play Games With Warnings

Perhaps we should think about putting a warning on that Math book. The reason is this – Forbidden Fruit. Warning children that something is not good for them leads them to want it even more. Off-limits objects are demanded more according to a new study. 310 Dutch children were tested (ages 7 to 17). Fictitious game descriptions were read and then participants rated their eagerness to play the game.
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