"Families Don't Play Halo Together!!!"... Think Again :)

[Wic]

I saw this article in our local newspaper way back in October, thought about posting it and then forgot to.
I managed to find it again.

So next time someone in our servers, or elsewhere, says "Family-friendly?  Families don't play video games together!!!" maybe you can just direct them here to read this.  It was on the front page as well, not buried in the Entertainment section....  .

As you can see, I've incorporated some of the finer points into my sig space.

BFM_Wic


 
Think you know the gamer type?; Think again, researchers say
The Ottawa Citizen
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Page: A1 / FRONT
Section: News
Byline: Vito Pilieci
Source: The Ottawa Citizen

"People who play video games have better family lives, are more social and make more money than people who do not, according to two new studies.
 
The Canadian and American studies dispel stereotypes surrounding gamers -- largely that they are solitary, overweight teens who are wasting their time.

According to the Canadian study, one in two Canadians can be considered a gamer, having actively played video games within the past month.

The average age of a gamer is 40 , and half are women  . More than 82 per cent play video games an average of 7.1 hours each week.

The U.S. study, compiled by Ipsos MediaCT for video game review website IGN Entertainment, found that far from being loners, 55 per cent of all gamers are married, 48 per cent have children and 57 per cent of those who are parents regularly play video games with their children.

"Families are getting very involved and parents are becoming more supportive about gaming," Judit Nagy, vice-president of consumer insights with Fox Interactive, IGN's parent company, says. "It's fun and interactive and a nice way to play with mom and dad."

Just as board games brought families together decades ago, video games have become a family unifier, Ms. Nagy says. Many young parents who already suffer from hectic work schedules nonetheless find it easy to make time to sit down with their children for a quick game.
 
"Family gaming is becoming a big part of Canadian families' pastime. Mom, dad and the kids are all playing together," said Nicole Helsburg, spokeswoman for the Entertainment Software Association of Canada. "Those who grew up playing games have taken that into their adult lives and are now embracing that as a way to spend time with their kids."

The U.S. study also found that gamers who are young and single are far more social than their non-gaming counterparts. Single gamers are twice as likely to go out on a date in any given month. They are also nine per cent more likely to go out with their friends than people who do not play video games.

In addition, gamers are 11 per cent more likely to play sports than non-gamers and spend the same amount of time per week reading books as those who don't play video games.

"All this underscores the fact that gaming has become a mainstream medium in this country that appeals to people from all walks of life," said Adam Wright, director of research for Ipsos MediaCT.
 
While their social lives seem to soar above their Xbox-less peers, gamers also make more money than those who do not play video games, the study found.
According to the IGN study, the average income of a gaming household in the U.S. is $79,000 U.S., compared to $55,000 for those households that do not play.
Anil Somayagi, associate professor in the department of computer sciences at Carleton University, wasn't surprised by the discrepancy in income. He said many gamers are highly educated and technology savvy, traits coveted by employers offering higher salaries.

"If you are good at games, you probably have some aptitude for computer science," he said. "One of the things games teach you to do is experiment. That is exactly the skill you need to learn. In effect, games are ways of teaching computer skills."

The market in Canada for video games was worth $1.5 billion U.S. in 2007, a 56-per-cent increase over video game sales in 2006. Statistics were similar in the U.S., where sales hit $17.9 billion in 2007, up more than 43 per cent over 2006 sales figures.

Cheaper computers, new handheld devices and video game consoles have made it easier for people to play video games wherever they may be.
Of particular note is the introduction of Nintendo Inc.'s massively popular Wii gaming console, which appeals to all ages and demographics, attracting new players who previously may have shied away from gaming consoles.

Tim Blackmore, associate professor in the University of Western Ontario's faculty of information and media studies, said the booming interest in video games proves that the activity has finally come of age. The purchasing power of people who grew up playing video games continues to drive sales and entice manufacturers to make better and more lifelike games, he said.

"It's gone from being a sub-culture to a culture," he said. "It's part of the mainstream. Finally, this generation is making enough money to invest in these kinds of things."

The ESAC survey questioned a nationally representative random sample of 652 Canadian adults. An additional 100 youths between the ages of six and 13 were also surveyed. The sample of all adults can be considered accurate to within plus or minus 3.8 percentage points, 95 per cent of the time.

The IGN study was conducted in two phases, focusing on online consumers as well as gamers in their homes. More than 3,000 Americans took part. The results are considered accurate to within plus or minus 1.8 percentage points, 95 per cent of the time.

The studies mark the 50th anniversary of the world's first video game, Tennis for Two, which was created by a New York nuclear physicist and released on Oct. 18, 1958. Hundreds lined up to play the game, which required a station wagon to cart it around, and was a very rudimentary version of the game Pong -- which was released in 1972."

[BFM_JANE]

That's interesting, thanks Wic! And I love how you put it in your sig, it looks pretty cool!

[Tåndêm]

and half are women

There are no girls on the interwebz!

OK, maybe there are a COUPLE...

[MrMxyzptlk]

YEEEEEEeeeeeesssSSSSSSSS!


Just as I've always said: Halo is NBD for me, because it's just like I drive on the freeways out here!


Now where did I put my _______ copy of GTA 4?!? 

j/k!

Caution: I feel that I must point out the misconception often found in these sorts of "published study results:"

There can be NO CONCLUSIONS DRAWN from them that can indicate IN ANY WAY that a certain behavior - in this case, video game play - RESULTS IN THE ATTRIBUTED STATISTICS GIVEN HERE.

This is a common ploy usually employed by writers who use conjecture from a single study that gives the appearance that "doing/being X makes you more Y," which is generally NOT the case.

It is rather the case that "If you're ALREADY DOING X, you're <study's statistics, e.g. "more likely"> to already be doing Y."

Such statics and studies that generate them do not (usually CAN NOT) conclude that "behaving like someone else that's doing X" will make you see the same results as "X"!

So don't infer from the article!  It's just statics on existing profiles of people with a certain behavior already set in their lifestyles!

[Pynk Dude]

Maybe I should show this to my parents

[Filla]

Interesting.

[Mith]

Wow that's really interesting I never expected that.  I always hear how gamers are like hermits and all they do is sit and play games and have no social life.  I disagree and this article shows how gamers are more social.  Very Interesting.....

[Wic]

As Mxy says, be careful what you take from this.  It is a result of two studies, so does have value... however there are other studies which will claim to show just the opposite.

But for all the studies they've published which are felt to show that violent video games create violent youth (hogwash) and encourage non-social, severely introverted behavior and that playing video games creates divisive families etc., I thought it was terrific to see one that goes the OTHER way - the way that I myself and my family have experienced in our 14+ years of gaming.  The fact it sports percentages and some 'specifics' makes me all the happier. 

Don't forget, gaming has changed an incredible amount in just the last little bit.  With voice servers like Ventrilo, it is much more like a social event - hanging out with friends, sometimes not even playing but just chatting or working on projects together.  It can't really even be compared to video gaming before Ventrilo or TS came on the scene.  Texting in-game or over something like mIRC is hardly comparable for the interaction that voice gives.

As a few of you have heard me 'wax eloquent' on, I never refer to what I do when off the computer to "Real life" as opposed to.... what??  I consider all the people in BFM and my relationship with them to be VERY 'real'.  We share laughter, stress, argue at times, work as a team (sometimes  ) - and just because we are not face to face doesn't mean it isn't 'real' or very valid.  I choose to define the times I spend as "Online time" and "Offline time".  Of course, "Offline" must take precedence - family, school, work, etc.    I just consider being with friends online to be just as 'real' and on many levels just as important.

I've found gaming to be a great 'window to the world', allowing us the opportunity to get to know people from all over the globe... and through them, a little bit about their corner of it and their culture - holidays, foods, verbalities... it is truly an education all on its own. 

Ok, speech done. 

*kicks her soapbox back into the corner*

BFM_Wic

[Glogg]

Very interesting article.

As Night and Lemming knows, my son plays Halo with me on occasion, he was even in SF with us (Killer). While i do monitor what sites he goes to, he is only 10, he does have his own computer and games. We even play Guitar hero together sometimes, lol.

Not sure i agree with the "more money" part, i always feel like im broke all the time, lol.

Still a very interesting article, thanks for sharing.

[Noodles]

True Dat!

Me and My pappy play together. Yes it can be very competitive. There are actually many members

in BFM who have a relative that also plays, actualy in the same clan!!!!

 

[BFM_Hydra]

My mum plays Diablo II and Spore



_{And Zoo Tycoon}

[Noodles]

_{And Zoo Tycoon}

LOVE ZOO TYCOON!

[Ledgo]

Not sure i agree with the "more money" part, i always feel like im broke all the time, lol.

Who doesn't?

[carl]

very interesting, read the hole thing.  (now i will go take some Tylenol for my eyes.) lol jk.  but on a more serious note, this is very interesting.  even my mom was surprised. 

[BFM_Exodus]

"Family-friendly?  Families don't play video games together!!!"

Tell that to the twins + Nemesis!

My mum plays Diablo II and Spore



_{And Zoo Tycoon}

So does my Mum!

Oh wait, they're one and the same.