Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Parents want inquiry on sex crime teacher

PARENTS whose children attend a North school which employs a teacher convicted of sending sexually explicit text messages to a 14-year-old boy are calling for an investigation.
Lynn Walls was warned by a judge last week that she might face jail after making contact with the victim, who lives in
London, through the interactive computer game World of Warcraft.
She encouraged him to send graphic replies to her messages and described in disturbing detail what she would like to do to him. She is suspended from work.
Yesterday, the mother of a nine-year-old child at Laurel Avenue Primary School in Sherburn Road Estate, Durham, called for an investigation into her time at the school.
The woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “The school seem to be of the opinion nothing happened while she was employed by them, but I think there should be a full investigation into her roles as teacher and as a responsible adult taking the children to the swimming baths.
“I don’t want to be named as my child still attends the school and I don’t want to cause any bad feelings.
“I just think other parents who have kids at the school should know. She would take the seven- and eight-year-olds to the swimming baths and go on the bus with them.
“The school has told people they can ensure nothing happened while she was there, but how do they know?”
Last week, Walls, 42, of Rose Street East, Penshaw, Sunderland, pleaded guilty at Newcastle Crown Court to inciting a child to engage in sexual activity in November last year. She was remanded on bail after sentence was adjourned for a probation report. She was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register. The length of time she must register will be set when she is sentenced.
Judge Guy Whitburn, who described the case as very disturbing, told Walls she would get maximum credit for her guilty plea. But he warned: “A custodial sentence cannot be ruled out.”
World of Warcraft, one of the biggest interactive internet games in the world, has 11 million subscribers. It involves a fictional universe in which players take each other on using their own specially created characters.
Durham County Council director of children and young people’s services David Williams said the court case involved matters unrelated to the teacher’s work at the school where she was employed.
He said: “There has never been any suggestion whatsoever of this teacher being engaged in any sort of impropriety while at the school and so we shall not be rushing into any special investigation.
“However, there will inevitably be a disciplinary inquiry at some point as a result of her appearance in court and that is when the broader aspects of these matters will be looked at.”
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Posted by JImmy at 02:42:57 | Permalink | No Comments »

These games are all easy targets for gamers to spew their vitriol.

You’re obviously a gamer, right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be checking this article out. It’s my place to assume, then, that there are some titles that you just can’t stand to read, see, or hear about because they just seem so, well, stupid. You can’t figure out why anyone would want to waste their time on such an insipid game. You’re not alone. Gamers love to hate on successful games. Maybe it’s because it’s the cool thing to down something everyone else seems to enjoy. Or maybe you just don’t see the attraction. Whatever your reasons, here are the top five games that people love to hate. 5. Gears of War “Men with no necks rushing each other with chainsaw guns in a monochrome world.” Gears of War is undoubtedly one of the most successful shooters of our time. However, that success comes at a price, as there are those who just can’t figure out why people seem to enjoy it so much. Often criticized for being set in a rust-red and gray world with beefy mancakes, it just doesn’t sit right with some gamers. The story is nonexistent, they say. Online matches are horrible. And what is up with the pseudo-gritty realism? Many feel it’s just Cliff Bleszinkski trying to overcompensate for many facets of his personality, and even more find it more worthless than the disc that it’s printed on. However, you can’t argue with the fact that its sequel sold 2.1 million copies on its release date. Whatever people find to hate about the series, it’s sure not hurting sales. Maybe it’s the fact that aside from the cover system it feels the same as many a third-person shooter, or that it’s too short for its own good. Personally? I have some faults with it but there’s nothing like a good, old-fashioned chainsaw to the neck. I’ll keep playing Gears. What about all of you? 4. Guitar Hero “It’s like mashing buttons on a piece of plastic. Real guitarists are way cooler.” As true as that statement may be, Guitar Hero has offered hope to those who haven’t a musical bone in their body. With the help of this visceral rhythm game, people who could not previously carry a tune can now at least pretend that they are guitarists for one of their favorite bands. Why do people hate? It’s “pointless” to play a fake instrument. They don’t understand why you would want to pretend to play on a toy guitar when you could learn how to play a real one like any “normal” person would. But to many, that’s what makes it so fun. They don’t have the time or patience or natural talent to learn an instrument. Plus, how stupid do you look, standing there with fingers flying away at a rainbow of plastic buttons? My thoughts are, if you don’t have the time or patience to learn a real instrument, and you want to experience the thrill of being a musician, then why is Guitar Hero wrong? I surmise it’s those who cannot grasp how to actually play that down the series so wholeheartedly. While it does have its issues, it is in no way a “bad” game. 3. Sonic the Hedgehog “Oh, a new Sonic game? You know it’s going to suck.” Okay, let’s be honest here. The Sonic ventures that have been available for us as of late have not been up to par. Actually, I’ll go ahead and agree. What’s left to like about Sonic? He’s such an easy target these days. At least we have the originals to look back upon so fondly. 2. Halo “Weak sci-fi story with forgettable characters and horrible gameplay. Who cares? It’s dreck!” It’s so easy to hate on Halo. Never mind how many fans it’s garnered since its original inception. Naysayers will complain about its story, its characters, and even the gameplay. “It does nothing new,” they’ll say. Though it may seem simplistic to many, I for one enjoy Halo’s story. Its relative simplicity is WHY I like it so much. You can get so much from all the games and novels, also the comics, that it’s so easy to get completely involved. It doesn’t behave as if it’s too “intelligent” of sci-fi for everyone to grasp, and that’s what makes it work. However, many disagree, and dog Halo for its accessibility. Somehow they feel they could do a better job, I suppose? 1. World of Warcraft WoW is an infamous timesuck. It’s responsible for an astronomical amount of relationship issues, neglect, and even some lives being destroyed. While those are all valid reasons, World of Warcraft is not a bad game. It’s most definitely not my cup of tea, but that doesn’t mean everyone should call it a horrible game because of the issues it causes. As we know, it’s not the game’s fault that its players do not know how to play in moderation. Taking raiding too seriously and letting the game own your life is not only WoW’s biggest downfall, but the main reason it receives so much hate. Thoughts? Comments? Don’t be shy! What are some games you love to hate? Sound off! Chances are the list is quite similar!

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Posted by JImmy at 02:42:04 | Permalink | No Comments »

Game news: Big numbers for teens and games

Associated Press
Real news from the virtual world:
TEEN SPIRIT: Who plays video games? Just about everybody — if they’re ages 12-17.
According to a survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 97 percent of kids in that age group (99 percent of boys, 94 percent of girls) play computer, console or portable games. So what’s up with the other 3 percent? Are they being punished? Or are they doing something less anti-social?
Turns out that teens who play games with some element of civic engagement also get involved in their real-life communities. Pew defined various types of “civic gaming experiences,” including helping other players, forming online guilds and making decisions about how a country should be run. The survey found that teens who played such games (like “World of Warcraft” or “Civilization”) are more interested in current events and more likely to participate in civic activities, like volunteer work or charity fundraising.
The most popular genres among teens are racing (“Mario Kart,” “Burnout Paradise”), puzzle (“Bejeweled,” “Solitaire”) and sports (“Madden NFL,” “FIFA”). “Madden” also scored as the third most popular franchise, following “Guitar Hero” and “Halo” — all games that are a lot more fun to play with your buddies.
HEALTHY CHOICE? The stereotype of online gamers, particularly those dedicated to massively multiplayer games such as “World of Warcraft,” are fat, red-eyed slobs surrounded by empty energy-drink cans and snack-food bags. But New Scientist magazine reports that such gamers may actually be healthier than most people.
Researchers at the
University of Southern California, the Palo Alto (Calif.) Research Center and the University of Delaware surveyed 7,000 players of the role-playing game “Everquest II.” They found the gamers had an average body-mass index of 25.2 compared with 28 for the average American. And the average online gamer also engages in vigorous exercise once or twice a week.
On the downside, “Everquest” players were more prone to depression and substance abuse. The University of Delaware’s Scott Caplan theorized that players “may be drawn to use the game to help deal with emotional distress.”
CONTROLLED EVOLUTION: “Spore,” the universe-spanning “god game” from “The Sims” creator Will Wright, has stirred up some controversy — although not, as expected, from creationists outraged by its playful take on evolution.
Instead, “Spore” buyers have flooded publisher Electronic Arts with complaints about the game’s digital rights management, or anti-piracy, measures. If you buy a copy of “Spore,” you can install it on no more than three computers — which the majority of players won’t have an issue with.

But a very vocal contingent of “Spore” buyers has made a big deal out of the restriction. And EA has blinked, promising to change the DRM to allow users to install the game onto as many as five computers.
“We’re willing to evolve our policy to accommodate our consumers,” EA Games President Frank Gibeau said. “But we’re hoping that everyone understands that DRM policy is essential to the economic structure we use to fund our games and as well as to the rights of people who create them.”
TIP OF THE HAT: Is Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert the biggest game geek on television (other than the guys on G4TV)? Guests on “The Colbert Report” have included the aforementioned Will Wright and “Ultima” creator Richard Garriott, who’s taking Colbert’s DNA to the International Space Station.
Colbert has been most enthusiastic lately about MTV Games’ “Rock Band,” which makes for excellent corporate synergy since Comedy Central and MTV are both part of the Viacom empire. In July, he got the members of Rush to perform their song “Tom Sawyer” on “Rock Band” instruments. And last week, MTV released a downloadable version of Colbert’s 1980s synth-pop classic “Charlene (I’m Right Behind You)” that you can play on “Rock Band.” It’s hilarious and it’s free. View the video at YouTube. Search “Rush Colbert Report” and it should pop right up.

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Posted by JImmy at 02:41:12 | Permalink | No Comments »

When is an online fad over?


 

The Internet thrives on fads that burn hot, then burn out. We’ve all moved past dancing hamsters, pirates battling ninjas, lonelygirl15, and rickrolling. This year, many assumed we’d seen the end of Second Life. But the lights are still glowing.
In September, Reuters quietly shuttered its virtual bureau in the online world. (No one seemed to realize until a few days ago.) The wire-news service had embedded reporters to cover Second Life since 2006. Now, Reuters joins the growing consensus that staffing an online office isn’t worth the effort. They marked yet another evacuation from pixelland. American Apparel and Mercedes-Benz have closed up virtual shop. Sun Microsystems and Starwood have severely pulled back.
Each defecting company seems to take a piece of Second Life’s legitimacy with it.
So, is Second Life dying? “No,” says Eric Krangel, one of Reuters’s Second Life reporters. He argues that Second Life is far from gone – it just looks smaller because most people have sped past it, rolling toward the next fad. But there’s still a strong base of fans. More than a million “citizens” signed into Second Life in the past month, according to Linden Lab, the company that runs the online world.
“For all the sound and fury over recent price hikes and layoffs at Linden Lab, Second Life has a community of fanatically loyal users,” Mr. Krangel wrote in a column. “Since Linden Lab derives its revenue from user fees, not advertisements, Second Life is much more likely to survive the Web 2.0 shakeout than most other startups.”
This membership model has worked wonders for World of Warcraft, another virtual realm. With 11 million subscribers paying up to $
15 a month for access to the fantasy world, the game pulls in perhaps $1.9 billion a year. No advertisers required.
Second Life is well behind World of Warcraft. But at least Linden Lab has a clear and functioning business model – something Google couldn’t lasso with its free Lively world (on which it will pull the plug at the end of the year) and something the new online darling, Twitter, is struggling to capture.
It will be interesting to see if Linden can hold onto those million users now that it’s hit this maturing moment – when Second Life grows out of its fad stage and into either a long-term success or a footnote in Internet history. It seems people in “first life” have already decided whether they love Linden’s world or just don’t get it. And now that the buzz is gone, few new people are likely to crawl down the rabbit hole.
What do you think, readers? Will Second Life carry on? Feel free to use the comments section for words of support – or obituaries.
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Posted by JImmy at 02:39:01 | Permalink | No Comments »