Meditation is so passé — bring on the endorphin-triggering entropy of violent video games!
News Blips:
Stressed? Need to recharge? Put down that energy drink and pick up a controller — a Texas A&M International University study indicates that violent video games help relieve tension and depression. "In this study, 103 young adults were given a frustration task and then randomized to play no games, a nonviolent game, a violent game with a good versus evil theme, or a violent game in which they played ‘the bad guy,’" explained Dr. Chris Ferguson, the head of the research project. "The results suggest that violent games reduce depression and hostile feelings in players through mood management." No surprises here — I've always been a staunch believer in trading migraines for Molotovs.
THQ throws its confidence behind the new antipiracy tech used in Nintendo's upcoming 3DS platform. Speaking with CVG, THQ Executive Vice President of Global Publishing Ian Curran felt he was "excited" for the 3DS's antipiracy measures, particularly after the gaming giant's hesitance to produce games for a handheld riddled with piracy problems. "The problem with the DS market in the last few years, particularly with the DS Lite, is that it's just been attacked by piracy. It's made it almost impossible to shift any significant volume," he said. "Therefore, the opportunity for people to invest more in product development [on the system] and bring more 3DS products to market comes out of that." Kudos to Nintendo — I don't want to fire up my shiny new system only to be greeted with a 3D skull and crossbones.
GameStop defends its uneasy relationship with the used-game market. At the Develop Conference in Brighton, England, GameStop executive Niall Lawlor credited the sale of used games as "a way of preserving our margins" while adding that "we don't like being in the used business. It's very difficult to manage. If we hadn't got [into] the used business, we wouldn't be there." Sadly, liking it or not doesn't seem to factor into GameStop's continually rising profits. [GamesIndustry]
Hello Games' Sean Murray explains his decision to release Joe Danger on the PlayStation Network. "Why choose PSN? It was the only way we could self-publish," he bluntly said, regarding Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade as a "slaughterhouse" for indie developers due to lopsided sales figures — Murray claimed that while the top 10 titles sell extremely well on XBLA, the remainder of indie games on offer quickly fade into obscurity after launching. He also revealed some of the grievances Hello Games met while attempting to work with traditional publishers, who offered helpful suggestions such as "Name me one popular game with motorbikes," "We want games that are less about fun right now," and "Can Joe be a monkey? We like monkeys." Joe the monkey does have a ring to it, doesn't it? [GamesIndustry]
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