NEW BOOK SHARES TIPS FOR KIDS AND PARENTS TO ENJOY GAMES TOGETHER
 There is no question today's youth are more tech- and game-savvy than earlier generations. To help parents, P3: Power Play Publishing will release the first in a new series of digital parenting books, "The Modern Parent's Guide to Kids and Video Games." The book is designed to help parents understand all aspects of video game play and provide them with the information they need to make game play safe and fun for the whole family.
Written by Scott Steinberg, CEO of technology consulting and market analysis firm TechSavvy Global and syndicated columnist, the book features a wealth of information intended to help parents manage game play at home. It offers parents guidance on establishing time limits and other restrictions on play, as well as how to identify suitable games for all ages through use of the Entertainment Software Rating Board rating system and game reviews. Online game play is another focus point of the book, and Steinberg offers parents tips on monitoring online game environments to help ensure their children have an enjoyable experience while playing and interacting with other gamers. The book also features an extensive list of appendices, which include a glossary of common video game terms, step-by-step guides to setting up parental controls on video game consoles and computers, online
safety tips, recommendations for family-friendly online and console games, as well as a discussion guide and checklist to help families have a conversation about game play in their own home.
Above all, the book emphasizes the importance of participating in a child's game play and constantly communicating with them about what games they are playing. Steinberg encourages parents to learn their children's "gamer language" and to try to understand why video games are important to them.
"You need to be an active participant," Steinberg says. "By taking part in it, by being informed, by asking questions, by doing research, not only are you better equipping yourself, but you're also better opening lines of communication," which helps to maintain a healthy and constructive dialogue between kids and parents.
Steinberg says that while there are a lot of resources already available to parents, he saw a need for a comprehensive guide to game play.
"Being a parent and facing many of these challenges, it struck me as being a perennially pressing issue and one that seems to be of growing importance with each passing year," he says. "Kids are growing and learning every day – as parents, we need to hold ourselves to the same standard, in order to be responsible parents."
The video game guide will be followed by future volumes on topics such as social networking, apps, screen time, texting and Internet use.
"We are attempting to take a neutral stance with each book, and show what the latest research says, explore all sides of the issue, then offer parents resources to make their own choices," Steinberg says, noting that the books are intended to be a starting point for discussion and learning, not provide definitive answers on all issues. "Every household, every child, every situation is completely unique, and so only you, being a part of it, are equipped to determine what the solutions are."
P3 will continue releasing new books through 2013, and Steinberg says he is also looking to create a companion video series titled "Family Tech: Technology for Parents and Kids." He encourages parents to offer feedback on the guides, and plans to update each book as new technologies and issues emerge.
For more information, please visit www.parentsguidebooks.com.
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PLAYERS INCH CLOSER TO AIDS CURE USING ONLINE GAME
Video game players from around the world recently solved a puzzle that baffled scientists for more than fifteen years — and they did it in less than 10 days.
 Using an online game developed by researchers at the University of Washington called Foldit
, a team of 35 citizen-scientists dubbed "The Contenders" collaborated to decipher the molecular structure of an enzyme that is responsible for the spread of AIDS in rhesus monkeys. This discovery provides important information that will help medical researchers design retroviral drugs to stop the AIDS virus in its tracks. |
In order for medical researchers to develop drugs such as these that can tackle an enzyme, a type of complex protein that catalyzes specific biochemical reactions in the body, they must first understand the enzyme's structure. However, with the millions of possible configurations of an enzyme's atoms and bonds, this task can take years and often stumps even the world's most accomplished scientists.
The University of Washington team saw an opportunity to capitalize on the enthusiasm surrounding collaborative game play to create a human "supercomputer" that could uncover these protein structures more quickly. Foldit enlists the help of gamers worldwide and challenges players to fold virtual protein molecules into different formations to obtain the highest-scoring, or lowest-energy, models. The monkey-virus puzzle is just one of several scientific mysteries on Foldit.
"Foldit shows that a game can turn novices into domain experts capable of producing first-class scientific discoveries," said Dr. Zoran Popovic, director of University of Washington's Center for Game Science. "We are currently applying the same approach to change the way math and science are taught in school."
Since its release in 2008, more than 236,000 players from a variety of backgrounds have registered and collaborated to solve molecular puzzles that could have important implications on science and medicine. The Contender's winning enzyme model was the second Foldit discovery to be published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology and researchers predict two more breakthroughs in the near future.
This most recent discovery highlights the power of Foldit and other science-oriented video games to channel human intuition to solve a wide range of scientific challenges. You can tap into your own puzzle-solving skills and help advance scientific research by playing Foldit at http://fold.it/portal/puzzles. |
VIDEO GAMES IN THE WORKPLACE: A BOON TO BUSINESS
Companies know that keeping employees motivated and monitoring their performance are key to running a successful business, and many now view entertainment software as a helpful tool in these efforts. Increasingly, companies like IBM, Target, and Deloitte are integrating video game elements, such as achievements and real-time progress tracking, into the workplace to improve employee motivation and productivity. This new management trend gives workers an interactive platform to monitor their individual performance, motivate them to improve output, and encourage them to participate in trainings and other work-related education courses.
Games have played a role in the workplace for several years, as many companies capitalized upon the engaging nature of games to train employees, build brand loyalty and advertise products to consumers. Given their effective role in the office, companies increasingly utilize the beneficial aspects of video games in everyday endeavors. In fact, tech-industry research firm Gartner projects that by 2014, roughly 70 percent of large companies will use video game elements for at least one business process. Additionally, the market research firm M2 Research estimates that by 2014, revenue from in-office game software, consulting, and marketing will reach $938 million, a substantial increase from this year's revenue of less than $100 million.
Already, a number of major companies have incorporated video game elements into a variety of business processes. SAP AG, one of the world's largest business software firms, uses a variety of games in the workplace, including a golf game that helps assign sales leads to employees and an environmental awareness game that awards points to employees for reducing their carbon footprint through various tasks like carpooling. At Target, cashiers receive a score based on the speed of each check-out transaction, and at the end of the day, receive a total success rate score. IBM integrates numerous video game dynamics into its business processes, including a game called CityOne, an interactive simulator that helps corporate and government leaders learn how to solve complex business, logistical, and environmental issues faced by cities.
Other companies, like Facebook, Photobucket, Mozilla, and Fern Expo use tools such as Rypple, a social performance management platform that combines aspects of social media and game play with digital reward-giving. Rather than waiting for annual or semi-annual performance reviews, Rypple allows for active goal-setting and consistent, timely feedback in the workplace. Appearing similar to a Facebook page, the program enables project team members to interact with each other in a number of ways, including tracking the assignment and completion of work by using status bars and badges, taking and organizing notes from one-on-one meetings, commending specific team members for their efforts with achievement-like badges, and anonymously requesting feedback on projects and performance.
The application of video game components in the workplace produces significant results. LiveOps, Inc., which runs virtual call centers, provides one example. The company uses video game applications to improve the performance of its 20,000 call agents. Beginning last year, the company awarded agents virtual badges and points for tasks such as making concise phone pitches and closing sales. Additionally, digital leader boards allowed each agent to compare his or her achievements to fellow colleagues. Since the system's implementation, agents reduced their average call time by 15 percent, and raised sales by 8 percent and 12 percent among certain agents.
As an increasing number of companies infuse video game mechanisms into their processes and office culture, many employees will be able to leverage these systems and methodologies to produce greater results and generate increased energy in the workplace. |
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Quote of the Month
"Video games are such a beautiful and vibrant art form. With games you can come up with a one-two punch that engages people of all ages and teaches them about earth science, or the periodic table, or physics."
— Josh Hughes, president of Add A Tudez Entertainment Co., on the educational value of video games
Did You Know?
On November 8, the London Philharmonic Orchestra will release a new album titled "The Greatest Video Game Music," which will feature orchestral versions of tracks from popular games including Grand Theft Auto, World of Warcraft, Tetris, BioShock and Angry Birds.
Statistic of the Month
A recent survey released by game developer RockYou found that social gamers spend an average of 9.5 hours per week playing social games, and on average have made 20 new friends through social game play.
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