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A DKK 2 million pool was earmarked for new video games aimed at youth in the 2006 Nordic Council of Ministers budget. And this is just the first round; the plan is for the fund to increase each year until 2012, making a total of more than DKK 70 million available for games development in Nordic countries. Projects submitted for funding will be evaluated on several criteria, and any funding will be awarded accordingly. Erik Robertson, head of the Nordic Game Program, said, “We have been pleased by the level of interest already shown by Nordic developers. But we also know that the industry in the Nordic countries is full of new ands creative ideas, some of which just need seed capital to kick-start them, so there is still time for people with off-beat ideas and unusual projects to get in touch.” Game developers in Nordic countries have until 30-June-06 to apply for a share of the funds.
For more information on the program contact:
Erik Robertson, Director of the Nordic Game Program
erik@nordicgameprogram.org
+ 46 40 36 76 70
http://www.nordicgameprogram.org
Read More 
| Nordic Monthly Review
Gallery: Funding Request Deadline Is Nigh
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Adult and youth gamers alike often brag of marathon gaming sessions wherein they play hour after hour. Some gamers go further, quipping that given their druthers they’d wile away every single day playing, 24/7. Is this much devotion healthy? Such extreme habitual gaming can morph into a serious disorder. In fact, the problem is becoming so prevalent that some doctors in Europe were inspired to open the first detox clinic for gamers. Debate rages within the medical field as to whether video game addiction is on par with serious disorders like drug addiction, and whether it should be classified as “addiction.” Regardless, the problem can be a serious one, as it’s been shown that addicted gamers tend to have corresponding mental health issues, like depression.
Read More | NBC 15
Gallery: The Dark Side of Gaming
Have Online Games Taken “Reality” Too Far?
Posted by Thea Davis Categories: Culture, PC, Role Playing Games,
The online games arena seems to be doing everything imaginable to facilitate gamers abilities to reach out and touch each other, virtually and/or viscerally. In the coming months, a number of “erotic games” – some of which allow players to use web cams to interact intimately within game play or schedule offline hook-ups – will be released. (One title has just debuted.) This spate of “erotic game” releases is framing a growing debate among sexual health experts.
Many experts fear that users will be unable to draw a line between the virtual world and the real world. They say that using technology as an enabler of communication and interaction can be beneficial, but using technology as a substitute for human contact can lead to a serious imbalance. Both sides seem to agree that consenting adults are “entitled” to participate in such games, but the naysayers express a certain wariness when a discussion of the level of commitment required to qualify as a hard-core “erotic gamer” is broached.
Read More | ABC News
Gallery: Have Online Games Taken “Reality” Too Far?
GamePro’s Eleven Most Groundbreaking Controllers
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Culture, Hardware, Nintendo, PlayStation 2, Xbox,
GamePro has a list of what they feel to be the eleven most groundbreaking controllers of all time. Most of the controllers on the list aren’t that controversial, but we thought you might be interested, so here they are:
- The Zapper (NES)
- Dreamcast Controller
- Nintendo Wavebird (Gamecube)
- Super Nintendo Gamepad
- Atari 2600 Joystick
- Nintendo 64 Controller
- Wii Remote
- Xbox Controller Type S
- Playstation Dual Shock
- Keyboard and Mouse
- NES Controller
Its hard to argue with the likes of the Zapper and the Dreamcast controller. Even the Atari 2600 controller was groundbreaking in its own, breakable, hand-cramping way. But while the concepts behind the Wii controller are innovative, it remains to be seen whether this controller will really alter the industry in a meaningful way. It certainly pushed Sony to adopt motion-sensing, but it’s hard to consider this a real breakthrough until the console actually ships. Similarly, the Xbox Type S controller may be best known for being released in response to the horrible feedback that the original Xbox “Duke” controller got; while it is a well executed controller, there isn’t a whole lot new that it brings to the table. Its amazing to see how many of the controller breakthroughs come from Nintendo; they weren’t always the first to implement a control scheme, but they usually were the first to make such things usable and gamer friendly.
Read More | GamePro
Gallery: GamePro’s Eleven Most Groundbreaking Controllers
Xbox Pioneer Ted Hase Leaves Microsoft
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Corporate News, Culture, Xbox,
Ted Hase, the last of the original team of four that pitched the concept of the Xbox, has left Microsoft after sixteen years. Originally, Hase, Otto Berkes, Seamus Blackley, and Kevin Bachus were the group that spearheaded the drive towards the Xbox. Blackley left in 2002, and last known reports have him working as an agent at the Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood. Kevin Bachus was CEO of Infinium Labs for a while, trying to lend them some credibility, and has since moved on. Berkes currently works on the Origami project for Microsoft. Ted Hase left the Xbox project early on in its inception, as the box shifted from a Windows-based machine to a dedicated games console, and has since worked on projects that would ultimately become the Windows Media Center operating system.
All four of the team members were instrumental in getting buy-off on the original Xbox project, and the fact that the original was such a success and that their replacements on the team have been able to get the Xbox 360 out the door so quickly is a testament to the level of trust that was built up in the platform. Hase will certainly have a number of opportunities waiting for him as he leaves Microsoft; he might be a good match for Apple, as they try to drive towards media center-like features in their hardware.
Read More | Mercury News
Gallery: Xbox Pioneer Ted Hase Leaves Microsoft
Gamasutra Podcast On Next Generation Development
Posted by George Hatzidimitriou Categories: Culture, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360,
Gamasutra has updated their weekly podcast with the first in a two part roundtable discussion focusing on the various challenges developers are facing with next generation console development on the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii.
Featured are:
- Brian Eddy of Midway Games (Stranglehold / Xbox 360, PS3)
- Nicolas Eypert of Ubisoft Paris (Red Steel, Wii)
- Todd Howard of Bethesda Softworks (Oblivion, Fallout 3 / Xbox 360)
- Bryan Intihar (Previews Editor of EGM)
- Aubrey Pullman of Microsoft Game Studios (Forza Motorsport 2 / Xbox 360)
- Evan Wells of Naughty Dog (Unnamed Next-Gen Title / PS3)
Thankfully, the discussion stays away from overtly technical talk, instead opting to focus on staffing, budget and management issues. The panelists all seem to agree that due to limited budgets and an ever increasing amount of required development time, developers must choose more carefully which areas of graphics,physics and AI to specialize in rather than striving for all around perfection. Other topics include middleware, specialization of staff, the definition of “next gen” and what is undoubtedly every one’s biggest concern, realistic trees in video gaming.
Read More | Gamasutra
Gallery: Gamasutra Podcast On Next Generation Development
How To Spot Pirated DS Cartridges
Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Culture, Internet, Nintendo, Nintendo DS,
It appears that the first pirated DS games are beginning to make their way overseas, so eBayers beware! GBA carts could often be difficult to pick out (sometimes the only way to tell was by looking inside the cart above the metal contacts), but for now it appears that the pirated DS carts are pretty shoddy and easy to pick out. Keep an eye out for any game with black contacts or deeply recessed lettering on the back of the cart. And of course, if you see labels that are poorly aligned and/or look like they were printed on an inkjet, that might be a give-away.
A description of what you should look for in pirated games, along with helpful photos, can be found over at 4 color rebellion. With the DS lite getting so popular these days, it’s no doubt we’ll be seeing more of these in the months to come.
Read More | 4 Color Rebellion
Gallery: How To Spot Pirated DS Cartridges
While US politicians continue to attack the video game industry on a state and national level, some European nations have begun to embrace the medium. In the UK, the Food Standards Agency has released “Foodbusters,” a game aimed at teaching kids between five and fourteen about “the importance of food safety.” Not to be outdone, France has released “Cyber-budget,” a simulation where players control their country’s finances, in an effort to increase “awareness of the difficulties faced by budget makers.” Meanwhile, the Nordic Council of Ministers has allocated two million DKK (about $338,000 USD) for Nordic developers to create “games for children and young people.” The French government offers a similar funding deal for French developers.
Read More | Bloomberg
Gallery: European Nations Promote All-Ages Gaming
Clinical Trial On The Effects of Gameboy Before Surgery
Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Culture, Nintendo, Nintendo Gamecube, Portable/Mobile,
Young patients in New Jersey may have something to look forward to for calming their nerves soon. As part of a clinical trial, the New Jersey University of Medicine and Dentistry is testing the effects of playing Gameboy games before surgery on levels of anxiety. The researchers theorize that playing Gameboy before surgery might be as effective as certain anti-anxiety drugs in helping young patients cope with stress.
There seems to be a lot of interest among the medical community these days into the uses in videogames in hospital environments. With studies possibly showing that doctors should play Super Monkey Ball before operating and children should play Gameboy before surgery, maybe we can look forward to a day where gaming consoles are a standard fixture in doctors’ offices.
Read More | Community Dispatch
Gallery: Clinical Trial On The Effects of Gameboy Before Surgery
FTC On Violent Games: There Remain A Number of Concerns
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Culture,
The Federal Trade Commission, in recent testimony before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, testified that while progress has been made in terms of M-rated games and their advertising towards minors, “there remain a number of concerns relating to video games and how they are marketed.” The testimony also stated that more work must be done in self-regulation of the industry, including better restriction of advertising to minors, and retail-level ESRB rating enforcement. Undercover operations at the retail level have continued; the latest operation whose results were released in March indicated that while the number of minors able to purchase M-rated games dropped, 42 percent of the shoppers were able to purchase an M-rated game.
The latest report underscores the need for better education, in both the retail channel and for parents, and hopefully, the ESRB’s ongoing campaign will improve things in the future. Without improvement, the video game industry may be targeted for further regulation.
Read More | FTC
Gallery: FTC On Violent Games: There Remain A Number of Concerns
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