Video “gaming disorder” now an official mental health condition

Teen Game Controller - Gaming Disorder

Video “gaming disorder” now an official mental health condition

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced “gaming disorder” as a new mental health condition in it’s latest edition of the International Classification of Diseases.

Dr. Vladimir Poznyak, a member of the WHO’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, was the one to propose the inclusion of this diagnosis to the World Health Assembly. Dr. Poznyak said part of the purpose was so health professionals will be more “alerted to the existence of this condition” and can get help as needed.

Gaming disorder has been defined “as a pattern of gaming behavior characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interest and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences”.

For gaming disorder to be officially disagnosed, the “behavior pattern must be sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning and would normally have been evident for at least 12 months”

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Pokemon Go at Holocaust Museum? Brave New World.

Pokemon Go at Holocaust Museum

Pokemon Go at the Holocaust Museum

Is this the beginning of the end of the world?

Below is an article from Breakpoint Daily written by John Stonestreet that I wanted to share with you all.

——

The good news is people are leaving their screens inside to go outside. The bad news? When they’re outside, they’re still staring at screens.

In 1985, social critic named Neal Postman, in the introduction to his book “Amusing Ourselves to Death,” compared two famous dystopian visions: “1984” by George Orwell and “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley. He noted that though many people thought their visions similar, Huxley and Orwell had very different theories about how people would lose their freedoms.

Orwell thought it would be Big Brother—the all-watching, all-powerful state. Now certainly, in the age of the NSA and TSA, it sounds like he may have been on to something.

But Postman thought Huxley was the one who got it right. Here’s how he put it:

What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, because there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture… As Huxley remarked in“Brave New World Revisited,” the civil libertarians and rationalists ever on the alert to oppose tyranny “failed to take into account man’s almost infinite appetite for distractions.

In “1984,” people are controlled by inflicting pain. In“Brave New World,” they were controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared what we love will ruin us.

“My book,” Postman then concluded, “is about the possibility that Huxley was right, not Orwell.” And perhaps nothing has so vindicated Postman’s take on American culture like Pokemon Go, a game in which users capture, battle, and train mythical creatures. Already it has more users than Tindr and even Twitter!

The upside—this game takes users outdoors to look for Pokemon, around cities and towns, even fields, using their phones’ GPS and camera. The downside—though outdoors, users are still staring at screens, oblivious to the world in which they’re searching, not to mention to other people.
As you might imagine, there have been casualties. This weekend, hundreds of gamers snarled traffic heading into Central Park, when a particularly elusive Pokemon was spotted there. Last week, two men fell off a cliff near San Diego playing the game. Others have been stabbed, robbed, beaten up and shot at by those taking advantage of unaware users.

As a San Diego Sheriff’s Department spokesperson said, “People need to realize this is just a game. It’s not worth your life. No game is worth your life.”

Neil Postman’s warning in “Amusing Ourselves to Death”, however, went further than that. He warned we were becoming a silly culture, addicted to distraction, without the ability to prefer the good, the true, and the beautiful to the trivial, the meaningless, and the titillating. Such a culture, he thought, would be easily taken captive by the inability to discern what’s truly important.

And in perhaps the ultimate indictment on our culture, the Arlington National Cemetery and the Holocaust Museum issued appeals last week that users not search for Pokemon at these hallowed sites of remembrance. The fact that it even needed to be said only affirms Postman’s prophecy.

Look, games are fun, and Pokemon Go is pretty cool. So if your kids are playing, don’t panic. But if they’re addicted to perpetual distraction, it’s time to intervene. Our friends at Axis.org can help. They have a marvelous tool for parents of teens called the Culture Translator to get you up to speed on this game and all kinds of other things. Come to BreakPoint.org, click on this commentary, and I’ll link you to it.

——-

Your Thoughts?

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iOS & Android Beats up Nintendo in the Gaming Market

iOS Androit Portable Game Market Nintendo

iOS & Android Beating up on Nintendo & Sony in Gaming

Flurry Analytics, a mobile analytics company, has come out with a report showing the shift in mobile gaming from traditional console providers such as Sony and Nintendo towards mobile systems such as iOS and Android.

iPhone Android iOS GamesiOS and Andriods leads the charge with a large bank of free and inexpensive games. Sony PSP, Nintendo DS, and any other potential portable gaming platform requires a consumer to spend over a $100 dollars for the gaming device alone then another $30-40 for each game. With the coming of the iPhone, the iTouch, and now multiple Android based smartphones, there is no longer a need to purchase a separate gaming device. Also many games can be had for free or for a mere dollar or two.

Nintendo DS no longer the Big Boy of Portable Gaming

In 2009, Nintendo DS accounted for 70% of all game software revenue. iOS & Android was at 19%. 2011 thus far estimated will see Nintendo drop to 36% while iOS and Android will eat up 58% of the gaming market revenue. This is out of a total portable game revenue pie of $3.3 billion dollars. The days of paying $40 a game seems to be numbered as many games are taking on freemium models where gamers get the game free and has the option to purchase more levels, features, or additional add-ons as they desire.

iOS Android iPhone
Let's Go Beat up Nintendo Together!

Nintendo will be facing it’s first fiscal year loss since it first started reporting profits in 1981. With both Apple and Google looking to enter into the TV space, it won’t be long before these games take over the living room as well.

  • Does any of this surprise you?
  • What is the last cartridge game you bought?
  • How many mobile games do you own?
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Did You Know Your Children Can Buy M Rated Video Games?

M Rated Video Games Mature 2
All the Things a Child Needs?

Did you know your kids may be able to buy M Rated Games?

Did You Know: Selling of video games is self-regulated. This means video game merchants can decide to check ID, not check ID, or just sell any rated video game to any age group. Based on a Federal Trade Commission study, about 20% of minors were able to purcahse mature video games on a national average. One nationwide chain was high as 50%.

US Supreme Court Rules – No Restrictions

Couple months ago, US Supreme Court ruled that, YES, game merchants should be allowed to sell violent games to kids. The US Supreme Court ruled on Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association formerly Schwarzenegger v. EMA) deciding that the 2005 California law that prohibited sale of violent games to minors as unconstitutional. The SCOTUS ruled in a 7-2 vote. The original California Law was enacted to limit the sale of violent games to minors.

Leland Yee Senator

California Law of 2005 Law Banning the Sale of Violent Games to Minor

California Senator Leland Yee introduced the original law banning the sale of violent games to minors in 2005. It held a $1,000 fine for any infractions by retailers. He wanted to regulate the video game industry due to various connections between violent video games and aggressive behavior in children. Similar laws passed in other states. This law was challenged numerous times and eventually show down on June 2011.

 

Why Rule Against Restricting Minors from Buying Violent Games?

One reason the Supreme Court ruled against this previous California law was the consideration that the definition of “violence” was too vague. The video gaming industry defended themselves by proclaiming that even Super Mario Brothers could be considered “violent” and so how is anyone to deem what is violent? On the opposite end of the spectrum was discussions over games such as “Postal 2” where the player can urinate on non-player characters then set them on fire.

Other reasons that were considered was whether the state government should have any rights to implement such restrictions and whether it conflicted with the first amendment.

Are We on a Slippery Slope? Standards Changing?

Ques: If we are allowed to sell M rated Games to kids, why stop there and sell M Rated Movies?

Outside of the ruling here is a question. Are we going down a slippery slope?

Over the past 15 years, I’ve seen the definition of “PG-13” change dramatically over that short period. Standards change over time, little by little.

Forget the arguments about first amendments or the rights of the government for a moment. If we don’t place boundaries on limiting what a minor can purchase, are we heading down a slippery slope? If selling R rated video games is ok, why not R rated movies? Something will have to eventually give. If M rated video games are ok, why not adult movies? How can we say yes to one and not the other? If someone demands these things, how can we argue? Who has the right to determine where the line needs to be drawn? Why?

In the movie industry, we’ve already seen that “line” shift dramatically. There was once a time PG-13 would be completely safe to take your children. Not anymore. Standards have changed over time. Plus who is to say where the line is? It’s concerning when the video game industry seems to have the most say. Is this a subjective matter?

  • What is your opinion on this?
  • What are your thoughts on the continual changing of our standards in media?
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Congressman Joe Baca wants Warning Labels on Games

Joe Baca Congressmen - Video Games Bill

Congressmen Joe Baca wants Warning Labels on Games

Congressman Joe Baca (D-Rialto, CA.) introduced a bill that calls for “all video games with an Electronics Software Ratings Board rating of Teen or higher” must include a health warning label stating:

“WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior.”

This new bill co-signed by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) called “The Video Game Health Labeling Act of 2011” and would create a new rule within the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

“The video game industry has a responsibility to parents, families, and to consumers – to inform them of the potentially damaging content that is often found in their products… They have repeatedly failed to live up to this responsibility. Meanwhile research continues to show a proven link between playing violent games and increased aggression in young people. American families deserve to know the truth about these potentially dangerous products.”

Parents Must be Warned of Potential Harm!

“We must hold the video game industry accountable and do everything in our power to ensure parents are aware of the detrimental effects that violent games can have before making decisions on which games are appropriate for their children to play… I am proud to introduce the Video Game Health Labeling Act, and am hopeful this legislation can work to stop the growing influence of violent media on America’s children and youth.”

– Congressman Joe Baca

Representative Baca cites several scientific studies from the Pediatrics Journal, University of Indiana, University of Missouri, and Michigan State University that showed a “neurological link between playing violent video games and aggressive behavior in children and teenagers.”

“Just as we warn smokers of the health consequences of tobacco, we should warn parents – and children — about the growing scientific evidence demonstrating a relationship between violent video games and violent behavior,” co-signer Rep Wolf said. “As a parent and grandparent, I think it is important people know everything they can about the extremely violent nature of some of these games.”

First Take

My take? It may pass, it may not, but it won’t do much in terms of raising awareness among the masses. People in the blogosphere, especially gamers will make rant at it, but ultimately it won’t get much attention or affect sales.

In terms of violent games affect on people: my opinion is YES it does have an effect. I am not saying playing violent games will lead people to commit massive murder or kill their parents (though that does happen…), but it does affect our sensitivity towards violence, changing our standards in terms of how we view different levels of violence. Don’t tell me a child who grows up never watching violent movies, playing games that has to do with shooting people, or games that glorify stealing cars and robbing people will have the same perception of violence as someone who grows up not viewing such things. Perhaps they may not be inclined to do those things, but when such pressures or occasions come, perhaps out of their control, how we grew up and what we are exposed to definitely has an impact in the worldview we have towards such things.

Feel free to agree or disagree, but that is my first take.

What are your thoughts?

  • What do you think?
  • Will it be helpful? Will it not work?
  • Is this too much? or the right idea?
  • Do you believe violent games may influence and encourage bad behavior?
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Taking Virtual Game Girlfriends to Real Resorts?

Lovely Town of Atami full of Virtual Couples?

OMG: This was my reaction to this:

The recently released version of the game “Love Plus, players can visit 13 real, physical locations with their.. virtual girlfriends? Wait.. what?

A beach resort in the seaside town of Atami about 60 miles southwest of Tokyo, started to target young men who play the game Love Plus. What is Love Plus? It is a virtual sims game where you play as a high school boy in a relationship with a high school girl. The point of the game is maintain and build the relationship. The game became big news when a 27 year old Japanese became so engaged (pun fully, and sadly intended) staged a full on wedding watched by thousands of people online with his virtual fiancée.

Blending the Virtual with Reality

So what is the OMG for? The recently released version had a new feature. In a partnership with the city of Atami, the players can visit 13 real, physical locations and find 2D barcodes where they can scan to signify taking their virtual girlfriends to these location.

Loveplus Atami Game

It’s creative idea and it does help the local businesses but… it is a creepy step into blending the virtual with reality. Think about the couple who had neglected their real child while raising a virtual one. Where one starts, the other ends.

The game Love Plus, created by Konami Digital Entertainment, released last September has sold nearly 430,000 copies. More than 2,000 players have already visited Atami since the campaign launched in July.

  • … so what are your thoughts?
  • do you think engaging in these games will have any effect on the person’s management of real life relationships?
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EA’s Medal of Honor – Play as the Taliban

Medal of Honor - Taliban

EA’s Medal of Honor – Play as the Taliban

EA’s Medal of Honor is one of the most successful and well known first-person shooters available. In October 12, the latest rendition is due to be released but with a twist – it takes place in Afghanistan and in multiplayer mode, you are allowed to play as the Taliban.

  • Wait, what kind of video game allows you to play as the Taliban and shoot U.S. Soldiers?
  • Don’t we still have soldiers still in Afghanistan?
Medal of Honor Taliban Controversy
Hope I Don't get a Mask Tan..

Playing as the Enemy in Video Games

Playing as the enemy is nothing new in video games. Playing as part of the mob, or in games like grand theft auto – playing as criminals killing cops and innocent civilians. Playing as the enemy in war games is also nothing new.

Point of Contention – It’s an On-going Conflict

The point of contention with this game is that it is being released while US Soldiers are still in Afghanistan. It is an on-going conflict with many families who have loved ones still still serving overseas. No one argues against games placed in WWII or other long passed wars, but the fact that this game takes place in a current war, has stirred quite a bit of controversy.

Question: Bad Form or Fair Game?

  • Is EA in bad form to try to take advantage of current history to sell games or do you feel it is completely fair game (pun intended)?

A Gold Star Mother Meredith came on Fox & Friends to express how she and many other people have with this title. She
how it is disrespectful especially to families who are losing their children in the war. Meredith herself lost her son in Afghanistan.

“We’ve just come off of the worst month of causalties in the whole war… and this game is going to be released in October. So families who are going to be burying their children are going to be seeing this… I just don’t see that a video game based on a current war makes any sense at all. It’s disrespectful.”

Even the British Defense Secretary Liam Fox had a lot to add to this controversy.

“[It is] shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban against British soldiers.”

“At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands.”

“It’s hard to believe any citizen of our country would wish to buy such a thoroughly un-British game. I would urge retailers to show their support for our armed forces and ban this tasteless product.”

[Note that no British Soldiers are actually explicitly in the game. Dr Fox is alluding to attacking ISAF troops in the area of central Helmand where British troops are operating”]

Current Conflicts vs. Old Conflicts

I still remember vividly the tragedy of 9/11. I still remember how horrible and painful it felt to witness such an horrific event. I also remember in a moment of random thought how long it would be before people started to pump out movies on this matter. Movies on WWII are abundant but they all came out years after the wars have long passed. The images from “Saving Private Ryan” or even movies like “Pearl Harbor” would have been excruciating for anyone remotely connected to the war or those who were in it. No one would dare make a movie on 9/11 right away, but how can you know when it is ok? Several movies came out later depicting the conflict but since some time of healing had passed no one flinched.

So the question again is..

  • Is EA in bad form to try to take advantage of current history to sell games or do you feel it is completely fair game (pun again! gag me,)?

What are your thoughts on this matter?
Please do not just say “it’s just a game” or “so and so is a retard” or “if you don’t like it don’t play it”. These are not arguments, it’s a bit of a cop-out and often demeaning.

The question is whether the timing of this game (clearly for the sake of profit) is in bad form or if it’s legit.

An even deeper question if you dare:

  • Why is it that we aren’t all that offended at video games in which the purpose is to go around shooting down other human beings?
  • What does our desensitization to violence and games such as these, speak about our culture?

I think the answer to these questions are more disturbing than any of the debate over this game.

[poll id=”20″]

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Girl Starves to Death as Parents Raise Virtual Child

South Korea is easily the video game capital of the world. With the fastest connections and a huge base of gamers young and old, it is no surprises that the idea of playing games is so integrated into their psyche.

Unfortunately, this also means there are more cases of video games resulting in harmful consequences. Recently a Korean couple, Kim Yoo-chul and Choi Mi-sun, was arrested for the neglect of their 3 month old child as they devoted themselves to hours of playing a computer game which involved of all things, raising a virtual child.

Neglected Infant Dies as Parents Raise a Virtual Child

Prius Online Anima - Infant Korean Girl
Anima Prius Online Screenshot

The 41-year-old man and 25-year-old woman, who they themselves originally met through a chat site, had left their infant unattended for long periods of time as they went to internet cafes to raise their virtual child. They only stopped by to feed their child powdered milk. They arrived home after playing for 12 hours at the local internet cafe to find their infant daughter dead. The police suspected neglect due to the baby’s malnourished body which was later confirmed by an autopsy.

Up until two weeks before the death on Sept 24, 2009, the baby had been taken care of by Kim’s parents as the couple was finding it difficult to take care of their premature baby. As Kim’s mother was ill, the baby was given to the couple for care. After the funeral the couple disappeared for months until they were found on March 2, 2010 at the wife’s parents home in Yangju, Gyeonggi province.

The game is called “Prius Online”. It is a very popular role playing game where you can create a virtual life in a virtual world. You create your character and traverse through life as you interact with other users, find jobs, build a family and so on.

Chung Jin-Won, a police offer said “The couple seemed to have lost their will to live a normal life because they didn’t have jobs and gave birth to a premature baby… they indulged themselves in the online game of raising a virtual character so as to escape from reality, which led to the death of their real baby.”

The case has shocked South Korea once again highlighting obsessive behavior related to the internet.

Other Incidents due to Video Game Obsessions

This is not the first of such incidents involving the obsession over video games.

In 2005, a man died in a internet cafe in Taegu after playing Starcraft for nearly 50 hours straight. He suffered cardiac arrest after not eating or drinking during that time.

In September of 2009, a young man murdered his mother for nagging him about playing too much video games. He then went to a local internet cafe and just continued to play games as if nothing had happened.

Of course these incidents are unique just to Korea as the child that killed his mother over the game of halo was well publicized here in the United States.

As these incidents continue to arise, there has been some movement to battle these dangerous and upsetting trends. Lee Joung-sun, an MP from the ruling Grand National party of South Korea has submitted a bill restricting the hours of online gamers. There are several such bills pending in the national assembly with varied proposals of how to limit teenagers’ time at internet cafes and limits to online game.

What is the Impact of Addictive Video Games on People?

These kind of incidences highlight the uneasy notion how these addictive games, as well as the general increase in internet use, has had a direct impact on the way we live our lives and relate to others. It is easy to point at these perpetrators in shock and blame them for being “neglectful” or “dumb” or even “crazy” while brushing off how the internet as a whole has had some negative impact in society as a whole.

Children from an early age sit in their rooms playing games hours into the night rather than developing their social skills by playing outside with their friends. The negative effects of media usage on children are well documented. As they children consume 7.5 hours of media a day, their worldview in terms of how to understand themselves, understand others, and understand the world are defined by what they see on the screen. Even adults spend hours and hours watching online videos or playing online games as soon as they come home from work. An average American watches 153 hours of TV a month while going online 68 hours a month!

Yes, the perpetrators are at fault and are completely responsible for what they did. However, it really say something about the our ever-pervasive dependence on media as well the status of our culture that these kind of horrible incidences can even occur.

  • What is your reaction to this horrible news?
  • Do you think people will reconsider their behavior due to this incident or brush it off saying it is different?
  • Is it a valid statement that the addictive nature of some video games causes social harm?

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Video Gamers at Risk for Health Problems

Boy Staring - Video GamesThe Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) came out with a study this week that suggests that gaming habits developed as a youth carries with them into adulthood. Specifically those who played video games as a child or a teenager have a trend to become inactive and have more health issues.

The study included 552 adults between 19 and 90 in the Washington State area. Gaming once was considered a children centric activity but in this study, 50% of gamers were found to be within the 18 to 49 age while 25% were 50 and older. Those in the younger age between 8 to 34 showed many signs of addiction.

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E3 – Microsoft Natal & Star Wars Video

3 Latest Viral Videos Floating around the Web

I am not one to be promoting video games. I personally believe video games, though can be fun activities in groups, usually ends up as a huge time sink. This isn’t an issue just with children and teenagers, but adults. In the modern era, even adults spend hours on end playing video games rather than living life in the real world. This is especially a concern for young children who spend so much time in front of the tube that it hinders their general interpersonal development.

I mean, a kid shot his parents over Halo 3 a while ago. I am not claiming the game caused him to do it, but if he wasn’t so obsessed with playing the game, it probably would not have never happened! Games are very addicting.

Having said that, I appreciates graphics, CG, and creativity. The following few videos are trailers and previews that came out of the recent Electronic Entertainment Expo or “E3” conference. It has been making it’s rounds in the internet world.

What is Microsoft Natal?

Heard any buzz yet? The first of these is a trailer by Microsoft in regards to new concept technology they are currently developing. With the success of the Wii and it’s movement sensing controller, Microsoft decided to take it further by proclaiming “no controller!”. Basically what they dubbed “Natal” will be able to detect your entire body movements and use your actions for the game. Imagine playing a fighting game actually swinging fists and legs. Imagine racing with an imaginary steering wheel. That is what Natal is trying to do. See the video.

E3 – Microsoft Natal Trailer Video

The next two videos are preview shots of upcoming games Star Wars and Final Fantasy XIV. These previews show mostly CG Rendering and Visual Graphic effects. The graphics are simply spectacular. The battle scene depicted in Star Wars between the Jedi Knights and the Seth empire is truly epic, grander than any of the movies released so far.

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Bad Economy? Not for Video Gaming!

The US video game industry continues to grow despite the bad economy. Though spending cuts are prevalent in all parts of life and in all kinds of industry, the video game industry grew 13% from January 2008. The industry now sits at $1.33 billion strong. This growth is well above the the overall consumer spending growth rates.

  • Is anyone concerned how gaming spend is going up in a time when spending is being cut elsewhere due to economic troubles?
  • What does this say about the culture we live in…
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Teenager Kills Mother, Shoots Father Over Halo 3

Daniel Petric Kills Mother, Wounds Father
Daniel Petric Kills Mother, Wounds Father

Daniel Petric, a teenager from Ohio was charged and found guilty for aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder for killing his mother and wounding his father in Oct 20, 2007 because they wouldn’t let him play Halo 3.

Daniel was 16 when he snuck out of the house to buy Halo 3 after his parents told him he was not allowed to play it. His father, Mark Petric 45, forbade him to play it because it is very violent in nature and sexually explicit. Halo is a violent first person shooter. He was caught with the game on his way back and his father put away the game in a lockbox in their closet. Unfortunately this is the same box they kept their 9mm handgun.

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