December 2009
4 posts
Interesting articles of lately
I’m cleaning out tabs on my browser and have articles of interest…
* Warren Spector on the Disney Epic Mickey title for Wii (from Kotaku) Art is pretty crazy. Looks to me as though it’ll feel like playing Fantasia
* “Why an iPhone could actually be good for your 3-year-old” (from Boston Globe) Has a good video of kids with iPhone, too!
* “Developmental Stage...
NPD Reports 82% of kids 2-17 play games →
“Among all kids in the U.S. ages 2-17, 82 percent, or 55.7 million, are current gamers. Of these gamers, 9.7 million are ages 2-5, representing the smallest segment, while 12.4 million are ages 9-11, and represent the largest segment.
“At 10.6 hours per week, gamers ages 12-14 are spending the most time playing video games, with the time spent playing dropping off among older teens,...
The Amanda Project →
I’m obsessed with books, particularly young adult novels, which some might consider weird given my chosen career of making interactive products. Still, books are cool. So I was particularly excited to discover The Amanda Project. It’s planned to be a series of novels, but it’s also an interactive community where users can post their own stories, some of which will become parts of...
October 2009
8 posts
Teenreads.com Teen Survey →
Teenreads.com (which I highly recommend, by the way, as a great source for young adult novels) released the results of a survey of nearly 2900 of their readers ages 11 to 18. By their own admission, the respondents are teens who are already hooked on reading, so it doesn’t provide info about how to draw kids to reading. Still, some interesting stuff and definitely worth a read. Here’s...
What kids today are saying, at least according to...
I’m always on the look out for more information about kids – what they like to do, how they spend their time, and so on. Two recent reports, while not specifically about kids and games, provide some interesting information. All told, the two serve to remind us of the role of technology in children’s lives as well as the importance of children’s immediate social surroundings.
1. Smartypants...
GDC China, Here I Come! →
I’ll be presenting the Little Hands, Foul Moods, and Runny Noses: The Research You Should Know When Making Games for Kids at GDC China in Shanghai on this coming Tuesday. The English slides from the GDC presentation in San Francisco in March are online, too.
What I’ve been reading lately… young adult books
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins – It’s the sequel to Hunger Games. Is it the best story ever told? Probably not. It’s kind of like Survivor meets the future dystopian society. But she can really tell a story. In both Hunger Games and Catching Fire, I couldn’t put it down.
Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley – What an amazingly beautifully designed novel! The design is great, the concept is great, the...
Article about game ratings and kids →
Nice, brief article describing some of the strengths and weaknesses of game ratings. Particularly interesting to me is the point that just because a game is rated 3+, it doesn’t mean that it’s actually playable by a three year old!
Even more from the International Gamers Survey →
I’ll spare the graphs and just list the numbers. (Again, caveat is that the estimates may be on the high side, but it’s hard to tell without knowing more about their methods etc.)
% of U.S. population that plays MMOs and Virtual Worlds
26% of 8-12 y.o. boys
27% of 8-12 y.o. girls
37% of 13-19 y.o. boys
24% of 13-19 y.o. girls
% of U.S. population that plays games on mobile...
September 2009
2 posts
August 2009
2 posts
1 tag
Silent Conversation Game →
It’s not specifically designed for kids, but I just think it’s a neat concept!
July 2009
11 posts
Incredikids webcam-based game →
If there’s ever been an appropriate time to declare OMG, this is a good moment for me. I absolutely love the potential of using web cams for online games! Now I’m on the hunt for more. Love it!!!
Tutpup →
Now I’m playing with Tutpup, an educational multiplayer kind of site for basic math and spelling. You’re randomly paired with a person and compete against them in drill activities.
Site is not cluttered or overwhelmingly graphic. I wasn’t prepared for the British voice over when I played the spelling game, so it took me a few beats before I recognized some of the words. :-)
Ah,...
Roller Coaster Maker Game →
Description from the site: “The JASON Project’s Coaster Creator digital lab is an interactive game that explores the science behind roller coasters. Use your knowledge of potential energy and kinetic energy to design your own coaster. Rapid energy transfer is the key to roller coaster thrills but be careful — too much kinetic energy and you’ll crash, too little and you’ll...
Wired article: Ridiculous Life Lessons From New... →
Is it bad that I’m looking forward to playing some of these?
“Some parents worry that videogames might cause their children to become violent and antisocial, but what if the opposite were true? What if games could make kids exceedingly likable and fashionable?
A wave of new games for tween girls seeks to do just that, serving up innocuous gameplay designed to let players become...
Typeracer →
Totally obsessed with this multiplayer typing game. 89 words per minute is my best. Fun little way to play with typing, though. I wonder if they place you with people of similar ability automatically. Hmmm.
Swedish Military Recruitment Online Game →
This is creepy and not a little weird…
“Where are your kids? If they are 2-11 years old, more than likely they are...”
– From Cynopsis Kids 07/08/09
Free Game Design Class →
Ian Schreiber is teaching a free game design class. The blog alone is a gold mine of information!
Gaming Built Into the Playground →
Kompan has created a playground called Icon that has games built into it. (Warning: The site is fairly annoying to navigate, but eventually you can find out about both the product and the games.) There’s a mix of devices built into the playground, including nodes that the players have to hit at various times. I love the idea of building it into the playground. I’d have to see it in...
My Old Blog →
Here’s a link to my old blog. I think I’m going to give tumblr a try for now on, though. I like the different posting options. Will migrate old stuff soon.