Today on Headline
RePLAY: The Smithsonian’s “The Art of Video Games” exhibit ranks in the top 5
of highest visitation days, a videogame study that does not link videogames with aggression and Sonic the Hedgehog is in for a major reboot in 2014.
40 years of video game
history drew nearly 23,000 people to the Smithsonian, placing “The Art of Video
Games” exhibit in the top 5 of the highest visitation days and being the first
such exhibit to be in a major museum.
“The exhibit will
highlight the games they grew up with, and in a way, tell the story of their
lives,” said Chris Melissinos, guest curator of the exhibition. “People will
see a game or artwork and remember what they were doing when that game was in
their life.”
Amidst the excited
visitors, game developers discussed the merits of the Smithsonian’s
contribution to the “video games as art” debate.
“Of course they are
[art],” said Naughty Dog’s Amy Hennig, the creative director of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. “To see such
a mainstream recognition of our medium, I mean, it really is the first time
that’s happened. I think that’s a huge cultural event and hugely gratifying.”
Irrational Games
creative director Ken Levine disagrees that the exhibit legitimizes video games
as art. “I couldn’t care less. It’s nice. It’s great to see it at a museum. But,
it doesn’t mean to me a lot. It doesn’t mean anything in terms of a paradigm
shift.”
However, Levine does
believe that the exhibit adds another voice to the debate. “The more places we
can talk about what we do, the better,” said Levine. “We are a ghettoized
industry in the sense that… we’re not on ‘The Tonight Show.’ Even though guys
like Call of Duty are going to sell
25 million copies of their game— they’re not on.”
*Source: CNN
A new study by the
University of Gothenburg, Sweden, may change the dynamic on the violent video
games as cause of aggression debate. Authored by Ulrika Bennerstedt, Jonas
Ivarsson and Jonas Linderoth, the analysis argues that cooperation is a
prerequisite for success in violent videogames.
The research suggests
that successful gamers are strategic, technically knowledgeable and has good
timing. In contrast, inconsiderate, aggressive or emotional gamers fare poorly,
which interestingly has little to do with violent videogames as cause of the
behavior.
“The suggested link
between games and aggression is based on the notion of transfer,” Ivarsson
explained, “which means that knowledge gained in a certain situation can be
used in an entirely different context. The whole idea of transfer has been
central in education research for a very long time. The question of how a
learning situation should be designed in order for learners to be able to use
the learned material in real life is very difficult, and has no clear answers.”
“In a nutshell, we’re
questioning the whole gaming and violence debate, since it’s not based on a
real problem but rather on some hypothetical reasoning.”
*Source: Science Daily
Sonic the Hedgehog may be in for another overhaul in 2014,
according to an unnamed source that spoke to Sonic fansite TSSZ.
According to the
source, the 2014 game will introduce a new universe, characters and effectively
“wiping the slate nearly clean.” TSSZ speculates that Sonic’s zones will be revamped to full-worlds with individual
missions.
The reboot Sonic may even come with a collection
mechanic, akin to Activision’s Skylanders:
Spyro’s Adventure. “An example would be to purchase a Knuckles statue in
order to gain the echidna as a playable character in-game,” said TSSZ. “The
strategy could also be used to unlock extra levels.”
Allegedly, SEGA and
Sonic Team have “committed” to the reboot and is experimenting with “new
gameplay methods and gimmicks.”
“Ultimately, SEGA is
looking to attract a new generation of fans,” said the source. “That would
certainly explain why classic Sonic
was touted as a one-time deal for Sonic
Generations, but this information also indicates that modern Sonic, as we know him, is at risk as
well.”
*Source: GamerZines
