game on

GET YOUR GAME ON! VIDEOGAMING WITH TEENS IN THE LIBRARY

Presented for Delaware County Library System, PAby Beth Gallaway, http://informationgoddess.info May 2008

CONTACT, SLIDES & LINKS

Beth Gallaway

603.247.3196

informationgoddess29@gmail.com

http://informationgoddess.info

http://del.icio.us/informationgoddess29

WHAT IS A GAME?

GAME: activity engaged in for diversion or amusement; synonym: see FUN

VIDEO GAME: an electronic game played by means of images on a video screen and often emphasizing fast action

Merriam-Webster Online. http://www.m-w.com

DO YOU PLAY GAMES OF ANY KIND?

YES

NO

WHY GAMES AT THE LIBRARY?BECAUSE GAMES …

Are just like books, they are just another new format

Are the medium of choice for the millennial generation

Build developmental assets of teens

Are literary Reinforce new literacies

GAMES ARE LIKE BOOKS...

THEY ARE JUST A NEW FORMAT

GAMING IS THE MEDIUM OF CHOICE FOR THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE AGE OF A GAMER?

* Entertainment Software Association. Top 10 Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php

33

WHAT PERCENT OF PEOPLE OVER 50 PLAY GAMES?*

* Entertainment Software Association. Top 10 Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php

24%

GAMING BUILDS DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS OF YOUNG ADOLESCENTS

o Supporto Empowermento Boundaries & Expectationso Educational Commitmento Positive Valueso Social Competencieso Positive Identity

The Search Institute. http://www.search-institute.org

WHAT DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS ARE BEING BUILT?

WHAT % OF GAMERS ARE FEMALE?

* Entertainment Software Association. Top 10 Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php

38%

GAMING = LITERACY Environmental print

signagelabelsmaps

Reading about the gameinstructionswalkthroughs

Writing about the gameforumswebsites

Chat: “WTS, Mageweave cloth, 15g”

GAMING REINFORCES NEW LITERACIES

Exposing knowledge

Employing information

Expressing ideas compellingly

Ethics on the Internet

Warlick, David. ”The New Literacies.” Scholastic Administrator. Mar-Apr2005

1. EXPOSING KNOWLEDGE

Find information

Understand and explain found information regardless of its format

Evaluate information

Organize information

2. EMPLOYING INFORMATION

Computation

Measurement

Analysis

Application

HOW MANY BILLIONS DID COMPUTER & VIDEOGAME INDUSTRY GROSS WORLDWIDE in 2007?* $40

billion

* Entertainment Software Association. Top 10 Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php

3. EXPRESSING IDEAS COMPELLINGLY

Mechanics matter

Creativity & efficiency highly rated

Text, images, audio, and video are used to express ideas in many digital formats

WAYS GAMERS EXPRESS IDEAS COMPELLINGLY

Fan Fiction Machinima Web Comics Fan Forums Clan Websites

ETHICS ON THE INTERNET

Modding – recreating game content

FanFic – writing stories about characters created/owner by someone else

Machinima – films/videos created through recording video game play

HAVE YOU EVER PLAYED A GAME

RATED “M” FOR MATURE?

YES

NO

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF GAMES SOLD IN 2006 WERE RATED M?*

* Entertainment Software Association. Top 10 Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php

15%

GRAND THEFT AUTO WAS THE #1 GAME MENTIONED BY BOYS 12-14 IN A STUDY ON VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES COMMISSIONED BY THE US DEPT OF JUSTICE

Kutner, Lawrence and Cheryl Olson. Grand Theft Childhood. Simons & Schuster, 2008.

GTA WAS THE #2 GAME MENTIONED BY GIRLS.

Kutner, Lawrence and Cheryl Olson. Grand Theft Childhood. Simons & Schuster, 2008.

HOW CAN LIBRARIES SERVE GAMERS?

o Connect games with “traditional” materialso Think like a gamero Become a strategy guideo Research video game cultureo Support gaming o Create a gaming experience:

o Game collectionso Gaming programs

o Try some games!

USE GAMES IN READER'S ADVISORY

INSTEAD OF: What authors do you like to read? What are the last 3 books you read? What did you like about them?

ASK: What movies do you like? What TV shows do you watch? What games do you play?

IF YOU LIKE CITY OF HEROES

THINK LIKE A GAMER

o Everything is in BETA

o Get a screen nameo It's all about YOUo You can’t break ito Fail early, fail often

BE A STRATEGY GUIDE... ...NOT A LEVEL BOSS!

o Show, don’t tell.o Make it interactive.o Have a free-for-all.o Ask for a demo of

expertise

IMMERSE IN VIDEOGAME CULTURE

o Skim gaming magazineso Read gaming blogso View machinimao Read webcomicso Play some games

RESEARCH VIDEO GAME CULTURE

o Take research studies with a ROCK of salt

o Pay attention to gaming in public spaces

o Attend GLLS2008o Join the LibGaming Google group:

http://groups.google.com/group/libgaming

TRY SOME GAMESo Set Gameo Penguin Baseballo Bejeweledo Chicktionaryo Bob the Blobo Club Penguino Runescapeo Diner Dasho Snood

http://del.icio.us/informationgoddess29/games

DOES YOUR LIBRARY ALLOW PATRONS TO PLAY GAMES ON LIBRARY COMPUTERS?

YES

NO

WHAT % OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES ALLOW PATRONS TO PLAY COMPUTER GAMES?*

82%

*Nicholson, Scott. (2007). The Role of Gaming in Libraries: Taking the Pulse. July 2007. http://boardgameswithscott.com/pulse2007.pdf . Accessed October 8, 2007.

CREATE A GAMING EXPERIENCE!

o Programso Collections

DOES YOUR LIBRARY HOST VIDEO GAME PROGRAMS?

YES

NO

*Nicholson, Scott. (2007). The Role of Gaming in Libraries: Taking the Pulse. July 2007. http://boardgameswithscott.com/pulse2007.pdf . Accessed October 8, 2007.

WHAT % OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES HOST VIDEO GAME PROGRAMS?*

13%

*Nicholson, Scott. (2007). The Role of Gaming in Libraries: Taking the Pulse. July 2007. http://boardgameswithscott.com/pulse2007.pdf . Accessed October 8, 2007.

WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL GAMING PROGRAM?

1. Research2. Schedule3. Promote4. Play5. Evaluate

CHOOSE A GAME THAT IS... Multiplayer Short Rounds Rated E or T Easy to Learn Challenging to Master Appealing to a wide demographic

WHAT % OF GAMERS PLAY ON HANDHELDS?

* Entertainment Software Association. Top 10 Facts. http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php

32 %32%

EASY, FREE PROGRAMS!

Cell phone clinic PSP Gamefest Nintendo DS Gamefest

32 %

MODEL GAMING PROGRAMS Santa Monica Public Library, CA

Counterstrike LAN party After hours program 50 teens lined up around the block to play

After School Zone, Benicia Public Library, CA Hanging out, snacks and playing games encourages Kids and teens who have gotten parental consent can

play Halo 2 and Ghost Recon on the XBox 360; Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. Melee are popular

on Gamecube

MODEL GAMING PROGRAMS

Ann Arbor District Library (MI) Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, & DDR Tournaments for all ages Regular programs Online community

North Hunterdon High School (NJ) Student-run game night in the cafeteria

“DDR+GUTIART HERO= FUN”

“Awesome cuz everyone gets along with each other, there’s no waiting in line or nething. Plus guitar hero is a wicked rad game.”

“I liked this because there’s too few of the DDR community around. This is a good opportunity to meet people with like interests.”

“I LOVED DDR”

DOES YOUR LIBRARY CIRCULATE VIDEO GAMES?*

*Nicholson, Scott. (2007). The Role of Gaming in Libraries: Taking the Pulse. July 2007. http://boardgameswithscott.com/pulse2007.pdf . Accessed October 8, 2007.

YES

NO

WHAT % OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES CIRCULATE VIDEO GAMES?*

30%

*Nicholson, Scott. (2007). The Role of Gaming in Libraries: Taking the Pulse. July 2007. http://boardgameswithscott.com/pulse2007.pdf . Accessed October 8, 2007.

GAMING COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT

1. Magazines2. Strategy guides3. Nonfiction about gaming4. Fiction with gaming as a plot or subplot

COLLECTION POLICY CONSIDERATIONS

Formats Console PC Internet Subscription

Breadth & Depth Genres Styles Age ranges

BudgetNewBestsellersUsed

COLLECTION MANAGEMENT Storage depends on:

format staff space budget

Theft start with programs start small

Issues replacement/repair resistance

WHAT MAKES A GOOD GAME?

Replayability Plot Setting Character Graphics Soundtrack Modification/Customization Uniqueness

GAME AWARDS

BAFTA - http://www.bafta.org/ IGN - http://bestof.ign.com Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences

http://www.interactive.org/ GameSpot - http://www.gamespot.com GameSpy - http://goty.gamespy.com Game Developer’s Choice Awards

-http://www.gamechoiceawards.com/ Game Critics Awards

http://www.gamecriticsawards.com/

OTHER RESOURCES

Gamer Dad -http://www.gamingwithchildren.com/

Video Game Librarian – http://www.videogamelibrarian.com/

Video Game Report Card by National Institute on Media and the Family http://www.mediafamily.org/

GAME REVIEWS

School Library Journal Voice of Youth Advocates “Get Your

Game On” column Gaming Magazines Tech Magazines

BEST PRACTICES: COLLECTIONSRockridge Ages 13-18 year olds PS2 games 2 games/patron No holds/renewals 7 day free checkout $1/day late fee $50/replacement fee Genres: sports,

adventure, racing, fighting, and shooters.

Helen McGraw E, E10+ and T PS2 and PC games 14 day circ $.25/day late fee game

cost+$5/replacement fee

Genres: compilations, sports, racing games, platformers, unique and quirky titles

WII GAMES FOR TEENS

1 Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo 2006)  

2 MarioKart (Nintendo, 2008)3 Rayman Raging Rabbids (Ubisoft, 2007) 4 Super Paper Mario (Nintendo, 2007)  5 Super Smash Brothers: Brawl (Nintendo,

2008) Fighting.  Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam (Activision, 2006)

PLAYSTATION 3 GAMES FOR TEENS

1 American Idol Karaoke Revolution: Encore. (Konami/Blitz, 2008)

2 FIFA Soccer 08 (EA Games, 2007)3 Lair. (SCEA, 2007)4 Ratchet & Tank: Tools of Destruction

(Sony/Insomniac, 2007)5 The Simpsons Game. (EA, 2007)

XBOX 360 GAMES FOR TEENS

1 Beautiful Katamari. (Namco, 2007)2 Fight Night Round 3 (EA, 2006)3 Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Eidos,

Traveller’s Tales, 2008)4 Lost Odyssey (Mistwalker/Microsoft Studios,

2007)5 Project Gotham Racing 3 (Microsoft Game

Studios/Bizarre Creations, 2005)

CORE COLLECTIONS:

http://del.icio.us/informationgoddess29/corecollections

Neal Schuman, 2008

IN CONCLUSION…

Libraries are about access to stories, and access to information – in any format.

We have to stop being format snobs!

THANK YOU!

Beth GallaCONTACT: 603.247.3196

informationgoddess29@gmail.com

LINKS:http://del.icio.us/informationgoddess29

SLIDES:http://informationgoddess.info