Tag Archives: games

Guest post by Sara M. Grimes, PhD Years ago, when the idea of “games for learning” was still a relatively new concept, a small but important movement emerged around issues of gender in gaming. Led by scholars, designers and members of the game community, the primary objective was to address a gaming gender gap that had formed in the 80s and early 90s. Then as now, boys were generally gaming more (and more often) than girls, male characters appeared far…

Today, E-Line Media and the Institute of Play are launching Gamestar Mechanic, a game-based learning platform that teaches the principles of game design as a form of 21st Century skill building in a highly engaging and creative environment. Gamestar Mechanic was created through a unique public private partnership that includes leading foundations, non-profits, academia and the game industry. Development of the game was initially funded through a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to the Institute…

Gamasutra and the Serious Game Source do a great service to our industry by posting weekly round-ups of gaming jobs. Check out the summary for the week of August 27th.

39 Clues, Book 10 will be released on August 31, 2010, and kids can converge for a live Q&A with the series’ authors from all 10 books. This highly interactive series includes online and mobile games and is a good model for inspiring kids to enjoy reading.  Tune in today — August 31, 2010 at 4pm EST for the live Q&A Download related classroom resources 

M2 Research and partner KidSay recently rleased the first in a semi-annually report series. Their first publication, Kids and Games: What Boys and Girls are Playing Today, shows a significant increase in kids’ online gaming and social media usage. 90 Percent of tweens are playing games online, with mobile and social media use on the rise, as well. The report includes over 80 gaming charts and outlines key trends and companies. Survey data was collected from over 5,000 kids across…

Cooney Center Prize winner, Yasser Ansari (team leader for Project NOAH), dropped in last week to update the Center on the progress of their mobile app since winning in June. View the video now! Learn more about Project NOAH   Learn more about the Cooney Center Prizes and stay tuned for info on our National STEM Video Game Challenge, starting this Fall.

Check out the Game Industry Black Book Q3 Q4 2010. Excellent opportunities and resources on development, career, distribution, platforms, marketing, and other business opportunities.

Do video games cause violence behavior in children? Are they ruining their minds? Despite scientific evidence that refutes these assumptions, why does the media still think video games are damaging for kids? That question was addressed by Scott Steinbergin, tech consultant and founder of GameExec magazine and Game Industry TV, in a great CNN piece a few weeks ago. In case you missed it, check it out:  Why Does the Media Still Think Video Games are Bad for Kids? In…

In 2006, The Edge published their picks in an article called 50 Books For Everyone In the Game Industry. What must-have books should be added to this list?    

We suggest you explore iCivics, a beautiful new series of Flash games designed to raise civic knowledge and participation. The first game “Do You Have a Right?” is designed for middle-schoolers who get to run their own law firm specializing in constitutional law. This series was originally envisioned by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who felt there was an urgent need for students to learn about the government before they can actually participate. Justice O’Connor spoke passionately about this project in…