Beyond the FPS debate, several recent studies on the positive effects of gaming recently published.

Connecting the dots in a research roundup:  In February 2009 The European Union Parliamentary report released its findings concerning the links between positive socialization and kids gaming. After consulting with experts from The Netherlands, UK, US, France and Germany, the EU report shows there is much more to consider about the effects of gaming beyond the red-herring of first-person-shooter (FPS) titles and the magic bullet theory of media use. The EU report concluded that gaming has educational effects that outweigh the dangers we hear so much about in mainstream media coverage.

From an industry perspective, Microsoft recently published its second annual PlaySmart/PlaySafe survey of 2500 young gamers and their parents. Some of the key findings of that research echo the conclusions from the EU report, including that games are progressive social activities. Like the EU, Microsoft found that 90% of parents are actively involved in their children’s gaming consumption and habits (a statistic repeated in the Pew Project report). Parents’ central concerns around gaming are, not suprisingly, connected to the violence in video game content (specifically in mature titles and first person shooter games) and worries about too much screen time–and not enough fresh air and active play. On that note, another study by Ipsos Media CT last fall found that regular gamers are social people on and offline, and in fact are 11% more likely to play sports than non-gamers.

When Microsoft Canada teamed up with Youthography for a survey of 1000 Canadians aged 9-17 regarding their game habits, they found largely the same patterns as mentioned above (86% of CDN parents actively involved), but also noted a disturbing trend: almost 40% of teens have witnessed cyberbullying while playing games online. More on this issue can be found in a recent episode of CBC’s The Fifth Estate, which focused on FPS competitions, compulsive and addictive gaming, and graphically violent game content.

The popularity of FPS games is undisputed, and male teens report (in the surveys above) a preference for mature titles. Still, the Pew Project made special note of the fact that the majority of teens play a variety of games, not limited to any one genre. More to this point, a recent study by Ipsos CT Media for Fox Interactive shows that 85% of the titles sold in the US in 2008 were rated E(veryone) or T(een). Additionally, thinking about the continued popularity of music and rhythm games (while declining this year), the rise of Nintendo’s Wii active gaming platform, and the emergence of the iPhone/iPodTouch as handheld gaming devices, rounds out the changing picture of mainstream gaming culture.

Still, many say that the gaming industry is losing the PR battle. As evidence, the blogosphere is abuzz about the sensationalist Change4Life marketing campaign in the UK which shows a boy holding a game controller with the tagline: “Risk an early death. Just do nothing.” In a video response ad posted on YouTube, Gamercize has an innovative take on concerns about worrisome connections between gaming, inactivity and obesity (check it out here!)

These trends in gaming research suggest that social attitudes around gaming are shifting away from a one-sided technopanic response, to widespread serious consideration of the educational and positive social effects of gaming for young people (and for not-so-young people too, the average age of gamers in Canada is 40!).

On the issue of educational game development in Canada, researchers at The Centre for the Study of Democracy at Queen’s University are getting lots of attention for their work designing a Canadian history game to be released (free of charge!) this fall.

Beyond socialization, the reports reviewed here suggest that gaming is positive for many reasons, including: improved memory and attention span, team building and collaboration skills, exercise in critical & strategic thinking, imaginative play, manual dexterity, as well as overall computer/digital/techno literacy–handy for the gamer generation to have, in order to participate in an information society.