Digital Technology, Games and Age
This online bibliography is simply an informally organised collection of online
items perhaps relevant to my essay on computer games.
The collecting was mostly done from my regular online reading as I wrote the essay.
These first few items are most directly relevant to the essay, and were mostly
cited there.
Introduction
Video gaming, The Economist, 2005 August 4 (as video gaming spreads, the debate about its social impact is intensifying;
Letters: August 25)
John Sutherland, The ideas interview, Guardian, 2005 September 19 (Edward Castronova says computer gaming is so powerful a tool we could use it to meet emotional needs and even spread democracy)
Michael Zyda, From Visual Simulation to Virtual Reality to Games, Computer, 2005 September
Gaming and Play
Wikipedia, Computer and video games
(also,
personal computer and
console)
Michele E Davis, The Secrets of PlayStation 2 (the only book on gaming in my city library)
More
The Generation Gap
Mark Prensky, Games2train.com (serious training in a game environment)
More
Violence
AAMI, Traffic congestion fuelling aggression on our roads, 2005 September 28 (press release of
Congestion rage in which see particularly the subsections by John Cheetham and Con Stavros which raise issues other than congestion)
Road rage murderer loses appeal, The Australian, 2005 September 27 (a Melbourne man who shot dead an L-plate motorcyclist in a road rage murder has lost an appeal against his 20-year jail term)
25 years' jail for "brutal" murder, The Advocate, 2005 September 13 (a 27-year-old man was jailed for at least 14 years for the unprovoked hit-and-run murder of a 19-year-old student;
the formal judgement)
More
Education
ISAGA (International Simulation And Gaming Association;
affiliates, including many more than the following)
ABSEL (Association for Business Simulation and Experiential Learning)
NASAGA (North American Simulation and Gaming Association)
SAGSET (the Society for the Advancement of Games and Simulations in Education and Training)
Peter Cockbain, Engineering Skills Forecast, Institution of Engineers, Australia, 2005 September 21
The National Academies, Rising Above The Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future
(Press Release; in particular notes bad learning of maths and science)
More
Computer Games (an index of articles in The Guardian)
Aleks Krotoski, How Sony sold us the PlayStation decade, Guardian, 2005 September 29 (has it been ten years since we first witnessed the blistering speed of WipEout?)
Bobbie Johnson, Nintendo Revolution, Guardian, 2005 September 25 (Japanese giant's new take on controller aims to change the way we play)
Jonathan Porritt, Too fast, too furious: the "it's all about me" generation, Guardian, 2005 September 28 (the perils of life in the fast lane)
Dan Milmo, Mobile phone game sales set to soar, Guardian, 2005 July 26 (computer games on mobile phones will be the fastest growing format in a mobile entertainment market)
Rhianna Pratchett, The upper hand, Guardian, 2005 July 21 (mobile gaming is hamstrung by conflict between phone networks and developers)
Dan Glaister, US networks cash in as advertisers turn to product placement, Guardian, 2005 September 30 (spending on "branded entertainment" soars as more viewers edit out commercials)
Steve Boxer, One for the road rage, Guardian, 2005 September 29 (imagine how much happier you would feel if you could simply batter traffic jams out of the way)
Marcel Berlins, Dumb, er . . . activity, Guardian, 2005 September 28 (Channel 4's new interactive series is less a drama than a parlour game - luckily, the Elizabethans were spared . . .)
Owen Gibson, C4 launches interactive drama, Guardian, 2005 September 26 (a new drama starring Ms Dynamite and Shystie will offer viewers the chance to shape an entire storyline)
Andrew Brown, The new pornography of war, Guardian, 2005 September 28 (now that fuckedup.com is the most horror-filled website I have ever seen; and if you are reading this at breakfast, or anywhere near a child, you should stop right now)
Barbara McMahon, Italy's streets of art at risk from vandals, Observer, 2005 September 25 (experts plead for vulnerable masterpieces to be replaced by replicas)
Tim Whitmire, Rita already causing havoc on approach, Guardian, 2005 September 25 ("It's like looking at a murder," Quentrell Jefferson said as he watched the news at a church in Lafayette, 125 mile west of New Orleans. "The first time is bad. After that, you numb up.")
Christina Almeida, Vegas driver said to see "demons" in crowd, Guardian, 2005 September 25 (a man accused of killing two tourists and injuring 12 others on the Las Vegas Strip told police he steered his car into the crowd on the sidewalk because they were staring at him like demons)
Jonathan Watts, China's new war against Japan . . . but only online, Guardian, 2005 September 2 (Chinese internet game encourages players to slaughter Japanese invaders in simulations of 1930s and 1940s battles)
Steven Johnson, Viva virtuality, Observer, 2005 May 22 (video games are brilliant for exercising the intellect)
Bartle Bull, Innovation
in the line of fire
(a lethal battle of wits and weaponry in Iraq; Prospect)
Saskatoon Public Schools, Drill & Practice (part of Instructional Strategies Online)
Words and Pictures,
BBC, (aids to phonic teaching of reading;
Phonics Year 2)
Glendale, Phonics rules
Alex Duval Smith, Inside the best school in the world, Observer, 2005 September 25 (shorter days in class, long holidays, respect for teachers: it's the formula for excellence)
Peter Kingston, How many people can't add up?, Guardian, 2005 September 13 (the true impact of the government's strategy)
Heather Stewart, Bosses say school-leavers can't read, write or count, Observer, 2005 August 21 (too many school-leavers arrive at work without the basic skills they need to succeed in business)
Patrick Ainley, The learning animal, Guardian, 2005 October 4 (constantly learning, never understanding)
Geraldine Bedell, Is the university of life a better option?, Observer, 2005 October 2 (with graduate debts increasing, and no guarantee of that dream job after three years' study, is a degree still worth the trouble?)
Andrew Brown, The new pornography of war, Guardian, 2005 September 28 (now that fuckedup.com is the most horror-filled website I have ever seen; and if you are reading this at breakfast, or anywhere near a child, you should stop right now)
Jonathan Porritt, Too fast, too furious: the "it's all about me" generation, Guardian, 2005 September 28 (the perils of life in the fast lane)
Owen Gibson, C4 launches interactive drama, Guardian, 2005 September 26 (a new drama starring Ms Dynamite and Shystie will offer viewers the chance to shape an entire storyline; but see Dumb, er . . . activity)
Jason Burke, How much terror on our screens?, Observer, 2005 September 25 (TV chiefs faced tough choices over images of hostage murders in Iraq; did they get it right?)
Keith Stuart, Thumbs up for gaming, Guardian, 2005 May 19 (mobile games that you can play with just one digit could herald a revolution in the genre)
Chris Alden, Spot the difference, Guardian, 2005 May 19 (as in-game dynamic advertising becomes increasingly popular and lucrative, there are visual consequences for gamers)
James Verini, War games, Guardian, 2005 April 19 (using techniques and technology from movies and gaming, some of Hollywood's top talents are helping the US military to train for war in the 21st century)
Euan Ferguson, Something evil's lurking in the dark, Observer, 2005 April 17 (there are two new games sweeping parts of the country this April, and one is less controversial than the other)
Paul Carr, The game with no aim, Guardian, 2005 April 4 (Perplex City - a cult in the making - the latest interactive puzzle hits the streets and the web)
Jon Buscall, A good sport, Guardian, 2005 April 28 (research in Sweden into the effects of gaming on children's behaviour should please worried parents)
Jonathan Watts, Harsh reality of China's fantasy craze, Guardian, 2005 March 31 (online games blamed for thefts, suicides and murders)
Lyndsey Turner, Virtual reality, Guardian, 2005 March 15 (can video games lead to violence?; many children have access to products that are meant for adults only; it's a good topic for discussion)
Greg Howson, Always on, Guardian, 2004 August 12 (online console gaming is big business)
James Meek, Get a life, Guardian, 2004 August 3 (online fantasy games are booming with up to four million players worldwide; as their popularity grows a new economy has emerged in which a good player can sell his "avatar" for hundreds of pounds to a a less skilful one)
Mary Riddell, Don't blame the games, Observer, 2004 August 1 (amid the outcry over a boy's death, we have missed the real reason for teenage savagery)
Jim McClellan, The role of play, Guardian, 2004 May 13 (videogames with a political message are being used to win hearts and minds)
Conal Walsh, Nintendo "knew games caused seizures", Observer, 2004 April 18 (Nintendo faces allegations that a number of its video games trigger epileptic seizures in children)
James Allen, Bull's-eye in the numbers game, Guardian, 2004 April 6 (how the government is using a darts star to throw light on innumeracy)
And now, a game from our sponsor, The Economist, 2005 June 9 (as young people are spending less time watching television and more time online and playing games, advertisers have devised a way to reach them)
Letters: February 17)
Evolution and games playing, The Economist, 2004 January 20 (the co-operative and the selfish are equally successful at getting what they want)
Playing to win, The Economist, 2004 December 2 (computing: how close is the relationship between real-world skills and video games, on playing fields and battlefields?)
The video-game boom, The Economist, 2004 November 11 (games sales exceed movie box-office receipts; but are the two comparable?)
Letters: Online gaming, the UN, Kashmir, troops in Iraq, patents, opium, British bans
The video-game war, The Economist, 2004 May 6 (can Microsoft's clever strategy level the playing field with Sony?)
Video-gaming goes to Hollywood, The Economist, 2004 March 25 (the game business is becoming more like Hollywood, but differences remain)
Graham Bowley, Shortfalls in European education cited, International Herald Tribune, 2005 September 23 (an unwillingness by European countries to encourage and pay for the educational needs of its best students is causing a dangerous decline in teh number and quality of European engineers and scientists, according to a senior Microsoft executive)
Stuart Elliott, Play the game, buy a trip: "Advergaming" takes off, New York Times, 2005 September 21 (online games that were embedded in ads sponsored by the Internet travel agent Orbitz are coming back, this time on their own Web site)
Tim Gnatek, Aspiring pilots flock to simulator centers, New York Times, 2005 September 15 (public simulators like Flightline, though a rarity, provide a particularly exciting experience for those aviation fans who think keyboard-driven flight simulators on a PC are not real enough)
Seth Schiesel, Cyber Games' U.S. champs represent electronic elite, New York Times, 2005 September 14 (connoisseurs of traditional culture might find it odd that more than 4,000 people showed up over three days to watch players compete in eight different games - with countless others following the matches via the Internet)
Casino group Gala snaps up Coral, BBC, 2005 October 7 (UK casino firm Gala buys up Coral Eurobet for £2,18bn to create Europe's biggest private gaming group)
Peter Feuilherade, PCs "take over US homes", BBC, 2005 October 7 (the average American spends more time using media such as TV and the net than sleeping)
Too few teachers of basic skills, BBC, 2005 October 5 (teacher shortages and uncertain funding hamper efforts for adult literacy and numeracy)
"Urgent need" to improve literacy, BBC, 2005 October 5 (there are still too many pupils in England leaving primary school without basic literacy skills)
Australian poor students warning, BBC, 2005 October 5 (after controversial university fee increases, Australia reports a fall in students from poorer backgrounds)
UK online ads "set to top £1bn", BBC, 2005 October 4 (the value [cost?] of online advertising in the UK rose 60% in the first half of the year and is set to top £1bn in 2005)
TV daily limit call "unrealistic", BBC, 2005 October 3 (a call for the government to impose a recommended daily allowance on TV is unworkable and unrealistic)
Movies "condoning sex and drugs", BBC, 2005 October 3 (popular movies depict sex and drug use irresponsibly, a study of the top 200 films of the last 20 years suggests)
Mark Ward, Mobile games step up the pace, BBC, 2005 October 1 (mobile games are about to get better and cheaper)
Universities to protect subjects, BBC, 2005 September 29 (a dozen universities have met to consider efforts to protect vulnerable courses such as languages and some sciences)
Teenager fires BB gun in school, BBC, 2005 September 28 (a teaching assistant is threatened with an imitation gun by schoolgirls after telling them off)
Neil McGreevey, Hulk up and hit the road, BBC, 2005 September 23 (the month's most recent games releases)
Brit's bot chats way to AI medal, BBC, 2005 September 20 (a British computer chat program, George, wins the prize for holding the most human-like conversation)
GTA prompts watchdog warning, BBC, 2005 September 15 (game makers in the US are warned over secret content following the GTA:San Andreas uproar)
Classroom role-play limited, BBC, 2005 September 7 (young children miss out on imaginative games because of the demands of the curriculum)
Reading system wins backing, BBC, 2005 August 25 (an official will spread the word about the synthetic phonics system of teaching children to read)
China imposes online gaming curbs, BBC, 2005 August 25 (gamers in China are facing limits on how much time they can spend playing their favourite online game)
Jo Twist, Pupils learn through Myst game, BBC, 2005 August 25 (learning the game of life via one of the best-selling PC computer games ever)
Student held over online mugging, BBC, 2005 August 20 (a student in Japan is arrested on charges of using an army of bots to mug players in an on-line role-playing game)
Nintendo delays new Zelda launch, BBC, 2005 August 17 (Nintendo, the world's largest portable video game maker, will delay release of its new Zelda title)
Games to be tested in classrooms), BBC, 2005 August 10 (the use of computer games in education is going to be tested out in three secondary schools in the UK)
Mike Baker, Can education gap be bridged?, BBC, 2005 July 30 (how can children from poorer homes do better at school?)
Computer games "have benefits", BBC, 2005 July 15 (computer games can aid children's health and do not deserve a wholly negative reputation)
Bully "unsuitable theme" for game, BBC, 2005 July 10 (anti-bullying campaigners say a video game in which a school bully scores points is "unsuitable")
Jane Wakefield, Women set for games invasion, BBC, 2005 June 30 (as more women play online games, there needs to be a sea-change in the industry)
City firms call for better skills, BBC, 2005 June 29 (school-leavers with good exam grades still lack basic workplace skills, City of London employers say)
Maths "stuck in downward spiral", BBC, 2005 June 28 (mathematics teaching is in a "spiral of decline" with major exam reforms needed)
Alfred Hermida, Parents "ignore game age ratings", BBC, 2005 June 24 (parents pay little attention to warnings on games that say they are unsuitable for children)
More children excluded, BBC, 2005 June 23 (the number of children permanently excluded from schools in England has increased by more than 6%)
Science dull and hard, pupils say, BBC, 2005 June 16 (half of teenagers think school science lessons are boring, confusing or difficult)
Gary Eason, "Teach risk" says business boss, BBC, 2005 May 2 (UK business appeals to schools to make children understand that life is full of risks as well as rights)
Alfred Hermida, Call for radical rethink of games, BBC, 2005 May 19 (video games must change if they are to be mainstream)
Global ad network eyeballs gamers, BBC, 2005 May 4 (a global network launches to make it easier to put adverts into PC and video games and to track their impact)
Online gaming costs set to rise, BBC, 2005 May 1 (downloadable content is set to expand in the next generation of consoles)
Poor "need more school support", BBC, 2005 April 25 (more support needs to be targeted on poorer children's education to close a social divide)
School creates its own Sim City, BBC, 2005 April 21 (Kent schoolchildren use a specially-adapted computer game to learn about urban planning issues)
Mike Baker, Who could be right about reading?, BBC, 2005 April 9 (the row over reading standards among 11-year olds in England)
US men turn to games over music, BBC, 2005 April 8 (video games become the second most popular purchase for men in the US)
MPs demand reading lessons review, BBC, 2005 April 7 (an urgent review of primary school teaching of reading is needed to help raise pupils' standards)
Justin Parkinson, Teachers call for protection, BBC, 2005 April 1 (schools should have CCTV and metal detectors to counter a rise in weapon use)
"Game theft" led to fatal attack, BBC, 2005 March 31 (a Chinese man is stabbed to death in a row over a sword from an online game)
Game gets pre-watershed ad ban, BBC, 2005 March 2 (TV ads for a violent computer game are banned from being shown before the 9.00pm watershed after complaints)
Sounds "help pupils with reading", BBC, 2005 February 11 (using traditional phonics to teach reading and spelling gives children a sizeable head-start)
Jane Wakefield, Games enter the classroom, BBC, 2005 Jamuary 21 (a racing game designed to be both exciting and educational could spark new interest in games for schools)
Games help you "learn and play", BBC, 2005 January 18 (God games, in which players must control virtual people, could be educational)
Daniel Etherington, The gaming world in 2005, BBC, 2005 January 7 (the last 12 months proved to be a high point in video gaming, but what does the future hold?)
Firms criticise school "failings", BBC, 2004 December 27 (England's education system is failing too many young people, making them unemployable)
Roberto Belo, Online games play with politics, BBC, 2004 December 26 (games with a political and social agenda have provided a novel take on world events)
Gamer buys $26,500 virtual land, BBC, 2004 December 17 (an Australian gamer spends $26,500 on a virtual island that exists only in a PC role-playing game)
Lab to study emotion of gaming BBC, 2004 December 15 (experts are to study the "sweaty palmed excitement" of people playing their computer and console games)
Parents face video game lessons, BBC, 2004 December 10 (ways of ensuring parents know about games suitable for children are to be considered by the games industry)
Mobile gaming takes off in India, BBC, 2004 November 27 (gaming on the move is one of the fastest-growing activities amongst the tech-savvy in India)
Pupils bear spam e-mail overload, BBC, 2004 August 10 (most of the e-mails sent to London school children are spam, many of them offering drugs)
Police reject game link to murder, BBC, 2004 August 5 (a link between the murder of a 14-year-old boy and a violent computer game is rejected by police)
Manhunt game "flying off shelves", BBC, 2004 August 4 (a high street store says a game linked with violent murder is selling fast - to the dismay of the victim's family)
Teacher leader's behaviour fears, BBC, 2005 July 27 (a teachers' leader laments the declining standards of behaviour among modern-day children)
Daniel Etherington, Playing war with the US army, BBC, 2004 July 10 (as military-style video games become more lifelike, are they blurring the fine line between fantasy and reality?)
Daniel Etherington, Meeting your online gaming pals, BBC, 2004 May 29 (meeting online game pals for real is not that scary)
"Big improvement"in ICT teaching, BBC, 2004 May 14 (schools inspectors report a big improvement in ICT in schools, with better resources and better teaching)
Darren Waters, Games firms woo "casual players", BBC, 2004 May 13 (the giants of the game world have set their sights on enticing a whole new generation of players)
Computer games may aid hearing, BBC, 2004 April 1 (children with hearing problems could soon be using computer games to help treat their condition)
Children's progress "hit by TV", BBC, 2004 March 15 (young children who watch too much television have impaired language development)
Daniel Etherington, Vampire games go for the jugular, BBC, 2004 February 28 (why aren't there more virtual vampires to slay?)
Video game to help flood planners, BBC, 2004 February 19 (a special SimCity-like game has been devised to help plan for Britain's future flood defences)
Virtual people get own games, BBC, 2004 February 17 (players of The Sims game can now let their creations play a video game in which they run virtual cities)
Home study "is video game leave", BBC, 2004 February 17 (many pupils who get a fortnight of home study for their GCSEs are using it as "video game leave")
Daniel Etherington, Blaming the dark side of gaming, BBC, 2004 February 7 (it is trite and irresponsible to accuse video games of promoting violence)
David Etherington, Getting sociable with gaming, BBC, 2004 January 17 (titles like Eye Toy have made gaming more sociable)
Children urged to talk more, BBC, 2003 November 12 (primary school children are to be taught how to speak and listen - something many schools are doing already)