Di tengah kondisi ekonomi yang lesu, larangan merokok di tempat umum, dan pajak alkohol yang mahal, industri pub dan bar di Inggris harus putar otak untuk mempertahankan konsumennya yang terus berkurang. Salah satu solusinya? Tempatkan game konsol populer seperti Nintendo Wii yang bisa dimainkan gratis oleh pengunjungnya. Seperti yang saya kutip di bawah ini, beberapa pub sudah merasakan efektivitasnya.

clipped from www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk With the smoking ban, credit crunch and increasing running costs all hitting licensed premises in the pocket, a number of Manchester venues have turned to games consoles to entice customers through the door. Wii and Xbox nights are the latest weapon in the struggle to get people back into the boozer. Adam Tracey, manager of Simple Bar in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, has introduced a Nintendo Wii for customers to use on a Sunday evening. He said: “We have been running it for a couple of months. We had a projector in the bar and we thought about how best we could use it. “It’s a great success and people really seem to enjoy it. It’s free and playing on a full-size projector screen makes it great fun.” Tracey said the Wii nights have helped put more bums on barstools. “We can get anything from 20 to 40 people depending on the night and when in the month it falls,” he said. “It’s another reason for people to come out and have a few drinks.”

Menjelang final pertandingan sepakbola Amerika, salah satu tradisi tahunan bagi EA Sports (pengembang video game American football, Madden NFL) adalah meramalkan hasil final tersebut dengan game Madden terbaru mereka (yang dirilis tiap tahun). Caranya? Ya tinggal diadu saja dua tim finalnya dalam pertandingan komputer-lawan-komputer. Selain ditunggu-tunggu oleh fans olahraga maupun fans game-nya, tentu ini bisa jadi ajang promosi tersendiri.

Entah kenapa saya tidak pernah mendengar produsen game olahraga lainnya melakukan hal serupa, misalnya Konami dengan Winning Eleven-nya ketika Piala Dunia, Asia, atau Eropa berlangsung.

Game memang bisa memberi manfaat positif bagi kita apabila ‘dimainkan dengan benar’, tapi kadang-kadang pihak marketing penerbit game itu merasa perlu melebih-lebihkannya untuk promosi.

Misalnya ini: Electronic Arts (EA), penerbit game olahraga sepakbola Amerika (American football) Madden NFL, melakukan survey terhadap para penggemar sepakbola mengenai pengetahuan umum mereka di bidang itu dan juga kebiasaan bermain game mereka.

Hasilnya, para penggemar sepakbola yang bermain game Madden NFL punya pengetahuan yang lebih (hingga 72 persen) mengenai strategi dan peraturan bermain sepakbola Amerika ketimbang para fans yang tidak bermain game tersebut.

Nah, oleh bagian marketing EA, hasil itu ditafsirkan sebagai ‘game Madden NFL kami membuat pemainnya lebih pintar dalam olahraga’. Tampaknya mereka lupa (atau sengaja melupakan) bahwa tafsir sebaliknya juga valid: Orang yang sejak awal sudah lebih pintar dalam pengetahuan sepakbola Amerika juga cenderung bermain game Madden NFL.

Yah, namanya juga jualan…

clipped from www.cnbc.com EA commissioned the University of Oregon’s Warsaw Sports Marketing Center to survey average NFL fans versus those that played “Madden.” The survey revealed that those who played “Madden” were 60 percent more knowledgeable about the game than those who just classified themselves as non-gaming fans of the league. The survey found that those who played Madden were 79 percent better in their general knowlege of the game, 54 percent better when being quizzed about game situations and 28 percent better on the rules of the game. The survey also revealed that there was a correlation to the hours of play — the more a player said he or she played the game, the more knowledgeable they were in the survey’s questions. The survey asked 36 questions. Madden players, on average, answered 22 of those questions correctly, while NFL fans who didn’t play the game, on average, only got 14 right.

Di negeri kita, masalah video game mungkin belum menjadi suatu hal yang cukup penting untuk dibahas oleh anggota DPR di Senayan; Banyak masalah-masalah lebih penting lain yang harus diprioritaskan mereka. Tapi di negara-negara yang generasi mudanya sudah lebih melek teknologi, video game adalah satu hal yang dikonsumsi secara umum layaknya televisi, sehingga perlu diregulasi oleh pemerintahnya. Neils Clark, seorang peneliti video game, menguraikan lika-liku dan pelbagai masalah terkait pengaturan tersebut di artikel terbarunya di situs Gamasutra.

Seluruh artikelnya sarat dengan info-info menarik, jadi saya sulit mengutip satu bagian tertentu dengan kutipan <1000 karakter seperti biasa. Untuk itu, saya sarikan saja pokok-pokok tulisan yang saya pahami. Misalnya tentang perbedaan isu antarnegara. Ada tiga isu dasar pengenai pengaturan video game yang lagi hangat diperdebatkan saat ini: Sensor/rating umur, pembajakan, dan adiksi/kecanduan game.

Uniknya, masing-masing negara punya fokus regulasi yang berbeda, begitu pula caranya. Amerika Serikat fokus pada masalah sensor/rating game-game yang berbau kekerasan dan seksual, Korea mendahulukan masalah kecanduan ngegame pada populasi remajanya, sementara di Cina yang menjadi problem adalah masalah pembajakan yang menjadi ganjalan bagi industri game lokal. Dan dari penyusunannya, gamer di Korea cenderung lebih melek politik dan aktif dalam memperjuangkan hak-haknya, di Amerika yang aktif melakukan advokasi adalah industri pengembang game, sementara di Cina pemerintahnya bersifat otoriter dalam membuat legislasi.

Sumber: Video Game Regulation: Where We Are Now

Meski krisis di mana-mana, industri game tampaknya jadi industri hiburan yang paling mampu bertahan. Di Australia, industri game tahun lalu jadi industri yang paling kencang pertumbuhannya dan paling besar pemasukannya, mengalahkan industri bioskop dan DVD.

Menurut The Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia, salah satu faktor penyumbang dalam rekor ini adalah pertumbuhan game dan konsol yang berorientasi sosial dan keluarga seperti Nintendo Wii. Buktinya, dari 10 game terlaris tahun 2008, 8 di antaranya adalah game-game Wii.

clipped from www.theaustralian.news.com.au Showing no sign of an economic slowdown, the Australian video and computer game industry recorded $1.96 billion in sales last year, an increase of 47 per cent from 2007 according to statistics from market research group GfK Retail and Technology Australia. That figure places the games industry as Australia’s most successful entertainment business last year. Video game hardware and software sales more than doubled the $946million made through ticket earnings at the box office, and eclipsed the DVD industry’s $1.4billion sales by more than 40per cent. The Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia, which released the 2008 figures, attributed the explosive growth in game sales to the popularity of family-friendly games which grew by 137 per cent last year. “Gaming in general, but in particular family gaming, offers much better re-playability than other forms of entertainment such as DVDs or going to the movies,” IEAA chief executive officer Ron Curry said.

Di negara empat musim, musim dingin yang penuh badai dan tumpukan salju di halaman tentu menyulitkan pelajaran olahraga, apalagi bagi sekolah yang gym atawa aula dalam ruangannya tidak begitu luas. Karena itulah, beberapa sekolah beralih ke konsol Nintendo Wii sebagai alternatif yang juga menawarkan gerakan-gerakan olahraga virtual yang dibungkus dengan kesenangan bermain game.

Baca juga: Wii Music dipakai sebagai alat ajar di sekolah-sekolah

clipped from www.poststar.com In a room next to the gym, another small group of students gathered in front of TV screens to take part in their physical activities. One engaged in a boxing match with a virtual opponent. Another swung a “bat” at a “baseball” hurled by a computerized pitcher and a pair of “bicycles” stood in a nearby corner, awaiting riders to pedal across a make-believe road to nowhere. “They didn’t teach us this in college — video 101,” said school instructor Kevin Dayton. With video games receiving a lot of blame for kids’ sedentary lifestyles, and their resulting obesity, Dayton sees the irony of including them in gym class. “There is a need to get kids away from video games, but — everything in moderation. You wouldn’t want them doing this 14 hours a day,” he said. Dayton said that, since so many students have the game systems in their homes, he is hoping to “bridge the gap” between school and home and instill in students good fitness habits that go beyond gym class.

Anonimitas kini tak bisa lagi dinikmati gamer Cina yang ingin bermain game online. Pemerintah RRC telah mengharuskan setiap orang yang ingin bermain game online untuk mendaftarkan diri dengan nomor identitas (semacam nomor KTP) mereka di dunia nyata.

Menurut seorang gamer, identifikasi ini bertujuan agar pemerintah bisa mengontrol seberapa lama orang bisa bermain, sehingga memudahkan penanggulangan masalah adiksi atau kecanduan game online. Anak di bawah umur, misalnya, dibatasi agar hanya bisa bermain maksimal tiga jam setiap harinya.

clipped from www.gamepolitics.com According to brief report in People’s Daily Online, China’s notoriously Internet-repressive government will begin requiring online gamers to register using their real names. Zhang also indicated that the operations of four online game companies have been suspended after Chinese government inspectors discovered that their software did not contain the required anti-addiction system. IncGamers has more info: …the real name registration system does not mean that gamers cannot use screen-names, but rather that their online gaming accounts must be linked to their real world identification number, which is issued by the government. [A Chinese gamer] went on to explain that linking a gamer’s online account to their ID number means the government can keep track of how long underage gamers are playing. Minors are limited to playing for three hours per day…

Lha, bukannya memang sudah jelas hal itu berbahaya ya? Memang, tapi September yang lalu, seorang supir bus lokal kedapatan bermain dengan konsol handheld-nya (entah Nintendo DS atau PSP) ketika sedang menyetir, sehingga para legislator di sana merasa perlu membuat larangannya secara eksplisit.

clipped from www.honoluluadvertiser.com The City Council again will take up a proposal to ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving. The idea emerged yesterday as a council committee considered a bill to ban text messaging and video-game playing while driving. Some council members proposed expanding the bill to impose a more comprehensive ban on handheld devices, but the amendment was deferred to allow more time for discussion and public input. The bill to ban text messaging and video-game playing while driving will go before the full council Jan. 28 for a final vote. If the measure passes, it would be the first restriction on using mobile phones while driving in the state, excluding military installations. The bill would ban writing, sending or reading text-based communication while driving, including text messages, instant messages and e-mail. Council members endorsed the idea of prohibiting cell phone use while driving without a hands-free device yesterday, calling it a long overdue solution to a real problem.

Begitulah kesimpulan sebuah studi yang dilakukan Andrew Przybylski dari University of Rochester. Selama gameplay dasarnya sendiri cukup bagus dan menantang, menambahkan unsur kekerasan yang tidak perlu dalam game yang sama rupanya tidak membuat game tersebut dianggap semakin menyenangkan.

clipped from www.google.com Spilling the blood and guts of an opponent and other macabre acts of violence do not make video games more enjoyable for players, according to a new study. The researchers wanted to find out if the same game became more fun for players when they made it more violent. “And the answer to that question was no … as you made the game more violent, it didn’t add extra variance in how enjoyable the game was.” In fact, he said the games are popular because they offer players meaningful opportunities to interact and work together, or to feel effective and exercise choice. “What they’re really chasing is having their psychological needs met. Cranking up the violence knob doesn’t automatically make a game automatically more fun.” Przybylski noted there was one sub-group of participants identified as being more aggressive – about five per cent – who showed a preference for violent games, even though they didn’t rate them as more enjoyable.

Sebuah studi pasar skala besar yang dilakukan oleh Report Linker, sebuah konsultan pemasaran, telah berhasil menemukan beberapa fakta menarik mengenai gamer dewasa di AS. Berikut beberapa di antaranya:

• Dari 114 juta gamer dewasa, 28 juta di antaranya adalah kakek-nenek
• Game online lebih menarik bagi wanita yang berusia tua
• Gamer mengekspresikan kepribadiannya melalui mobil pribadinya

• Banyak game yang dibeli belum pernah dimainkan sama sekali
• Gamer cukup up-to-date dengan fashion dan mode terbaru
• Gamer adalah konsumen yang baik bagi industri asuransi
• Gamer masih suka membaca buku dan mendengarkan radio

clipped from www.reportlinker.com This groundbreaking Packaged Facts report provides a detailed analysis of the consumer attitudes and behavior of the 114 million American adults who play video games. Videogamers represent more than half of the adult population and have an aggregate income of $4 trillion. Through the innovative use of data from the Simmons Market Research Bureau National Consumer Survey, this Packaged Facts report challenges numerous stereotypes of videogamers. For example, videogamers are far from being slackers who do nothing but sit for hours on end in front of a gaming console or computer screen. In fact, videogamers are exceptionally active consumers. They work out more, go out more and shop more than adult Americans who don’t play video games. Although video games are a primary form of entertainment for many gamers, traditional forms of media and entertainment such as watching television, going to the movies and dining out remain a central part of the leisure-time habits of most video-game players

Meski kadang dituduh sebagai penyebab cedera, Nintendo Wii yang permainannya banyak mengandalkan gerakan tubuh (terutama tangan) ternyata bisa juga menjadi alat olahraga ringan bagi para manula dan mereka yang pernah terkena stroke. Tapi tentu bagi orang-orang biasa permainan Wii ini tidak bisa dijadikan sebagai pengganti olahraga beneran…

clipped from www.bloomberg.com Researchers and senior-center operators say waving the Wii’s motion-activated joystick to throw virtual punches or swim laps may improve health. “If it does show real benefit it could be a huge asset for rehabilitation and increasing physical activity,” said Stacy Fritz, director of the Rehabilitation Laboratory at the University of South Carolina, which is studying whether the Wii can help stroke victims. Mayo Clinic researchers endorsed the use of movement- oriented video games to reduce childhood obesity in a 2006 study in the journal Pediatrics. Xrtainment Zone, a Redlands, California-based fitness center built around video games that require physical activity, is developing a study with Loma Linda University School of Public Health on the Wii’s benefits for seniors. Cedric Bryant, chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise, said that while the Wii can benefit seniors returning to physical activity, traditional exercise produces better results.

Jim Henson Company, perusahaan milik almarhum Jim Henson si pencipta The Muppets dan Sesame Street, tiap tahunnya memberikan penghargaan bagi individu atau organisasi yang visi dan misinya sejalan dengan almarhum Jim Henson: kreatif, inovatif, dan menginspirasi orang lain.

Tahun ini, yang mendapat kehormatan itu adalah Shigeru Miyamoto dan Spore. Shigeru Miyamoto adalah desainer game-game terkenal Nintendo seperti Mario dan Donkey Kong, sementara Spore adalah game PC simulasi (semacam The Sims), di mana kita bisa mengembangbiakkan ‘alien’, mulai dari hewan bersel satu hingga menjadi peradaban yang maju.

clipped from kotaku.com “The recipients of this year’s Jim Henson Honors demonstrate true creativity and commitment to innovation,” said Brian Henson. “They have raised the bar in their respective fields, from Shigeru Miyamoto’s groundbreaking work fusing entertainment and technology at Nintendo, to the Center for Puppetry Arts’ dedication to enriching lives through arts education, this year’s honorees, who so strongly reflect the traditions of The Jim Henson Company.” “Each of this year’s recipients inspired us in different ways,” said Lisa Henson. “In addition to Shigeru Miyamoto and the Center for Puppetry Arts, we also honor the visual brilliance and topicality of street artist Shepard Fairey, who tapped into a generation’s profound desire for change, and the incredibly imaginative and provocative world of Spore. Varied and vast in terms of their impact, this year’s four honorees are true models of originality, innovation and ingenuity. It is a privilege to honor their outstanding work.”

Seorang anggota DPRD di New York mengajukan proposal RUU untuk membuat agar game yang mengandung kata-kata kasar (makian, umpatan) dan penggambaran karakter atau kelompok tertentu yang bersifat rasis menjadi ilegal untuk dijual pada anak-anak di bawah umur.

Tentu, para gamer di seantero penjuru internet menertawakan RUU ini sebagai produk dari orang-orang generasi tua yang tidak melek game. Ada beberapa alasan: Pertama, game yang mengandung kedua unsur di atas biasanya sudah diberi rating ‘Mature’ alias ‘Khusus Dewasa’ alias ‘untuk 18 tahun ke atas’, sehingga membuat RUU ini menjadi tidak perlu.

Kedua, biasanya orangtualah yang membelikan game untuk anak-anaknya yang masih kecil, sehingga penerapan RUU ini (‘menjual game tertentu ke anak kecil’) menjadi percuma; Lebih efektif untuk melakukan edukasi ke orangtua mengenai konten-konten dalam game yang mereka beli untuk anaknya.

clipped from www.gamepolitics.com A new legislative proposal to restrict the sale of video games portraying negative racial stereotypes and bad language has been proposed in the New York Assembly. The measure, A01474, was submitted by Assemblyman Keith L.T. Wright, a Democrat from Manhattan. The bill, which has been referred to the Assembly’s Consumer Protection and Affairs Committee: Prohibits the sale to minors of certain rated video games containing a rating that reflects content of various degrees of profanity, racist stereotypes or derogatory language, and/or actions toward a specific group of persons. A similar bill proposed by Wright in 2007 failed to pass. GamePolitics readers will recall that New York passed a video game law in 2008 mandating – redundantly – that game packages display ratings and that consoles offer parental control features. The video game industry did not bring a legal challenge, however, since those remedies were already in place and the law did not threaten sales.

Ketika Sony dan Microsoft sibuk bersaing, Nintendo dengan konsol Wii-nya menerapkan strategi tersendiri dengan merambah ke tempat yang selama ini jarang terjangkau video game: sekolah. Bekerja sama dengan The National Association for Music Education, para guru musik di 51 kota di Amerika dapat menggunakan game Wii Music untuk mengajarkan konsep ritme, tempo, dan struktur musik pada murid-murid sekolah dasar.

Dari berita yang saya kutip dari Kotaku berikut, tampaknya para guru cukup antusias menyambut program ini, terlebih lagi para murid mereka. Tidak hanya mengajarkan musik, game ini, menurut salah satu guru, juga melatih kemampuan bahasa, keruangan, dan koordinasi mata-tangan anak.

clipped from kotaku.com Nintendo is teaming with The National Association for Music Education to get the Wii and Wii Music into schools, the two announced today. The collaboration will have music teachers in 51 cities using Wii Music to help children with rhythm, temp and song structure. “Wii Music has brought a renewed excitement to music class for students from first grade to fifth, myself and even some of the classroom teachers,” said Helen A. Krofchick, a music teacher at Doby’s Mill Elementary School in Lugoff, S.C. “I love how many music standards can be covered in such a short time. Students also have to use language skills, spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination. We have a school very supportive of the arts and Wii Music has empowered our program even more. Any system that is educational and can add a love of music to children’s lives should be in every classroom.” They did also work with The National Association for Music Education to create a master lesson plan.

…dan naluri itu lebih tinggi pada gamer pria dibanding gamer wanita; Itulah salah satu kesimpulan Prof. Allan Reiss dari Stanford University ketika ia memindai dengan MRI otak sekumpulan pria dan wanita yang sedang bermain game.

Menurut Prof. Reiss, itu menjelaskan kenapa pria lebih gampang tertarik dan ‘nyandu’ dengan videogame dibanding wanita, dan juga mengapa game-game yang sifatnya agresif (seperti FPS) dan teritorial (seperti game strategi) lebih populer di kalangan pria.

clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk Playing on computer consoles activates parts of the male brain which are linked to rewarding feelings and addiction, scans have shown. The more opponents they vanquish and points they score, the more stimulated this region becomes. In contrast, these parts of women’s brains are much less likely to be triggered by sessions on the Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii or Xbox. Professor Allan Reiss of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research at Stanford University, California, who led the research, said that women understood computer games just as well as men but did not have the same neurological drive to win. “These gender differences may help explain why males are more attracted to, and more likely to become ‘hooked’ on video games than females,” he said. “I think it’s fair to say that males tend to be more intrinsically territorial. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out who historically are the conquerors and tyrants of our species – they’re the males.

Meski video game mainstream cukup liberal dan progresif dalam berbagai segi, homoseksualitas tampaknya masih menjadi isu yang dihindari oleh para pengembang game. Brad Hildebrand dalam editorialnya untuk Kombo.com membahas masalah ini dari sisi sosio-historisnya untuk melihat mengapa, di tengah trend kekerasan dan seksualitas dalam video game, menampilkan karakter gay atau lesbian masih jadi kontroversi yang sensitif.

Coba anda ingat-ingat lagi, karakter video game mana saja yang digambarkan secara terbuka sebagai homoseksual?

clipped from www.kombo.com Since nearly the beginning of gaming gay characters have been utilized, though they almost always fell under the categories of villain or comic foil. These early characters were often cross-dressing, effeminate individuals whose inclusion as comic relief helped them circumvent Nintendo and Sega’s censorship codes, which were modeled off the early Hollywood production codes which banned “sexual perversion.” As times changed the portrayal of gay characters softened, and by the mid-90s and at the turn of the millennium, homosexual characters were being treated with a bit more tact. These periods of change don’t last forever, though, and as the issue has receded in the public eye, games have reverted back to previous stereotypes once thought to be on the way out. While games have the potential to stand at the bleeding edge of social and political commentary, they prefer to play it safe and put sales above message, lagging far behind their contemporaries in television and cinema.

Setelah kemarin kita melihat bagaimana Korea menangani para pecandu internet dan game-nya, kini giliran Cina untuk diekspos. Sebagai negara dengan jumlah penduduk terbanyak, tak heran kalau diperkirakan negara itu punya sekitar 17 juta pecandu internet, kebanyakan dari kalangan remaja.

Tao Ran, seorang psikolog yang peduli dengan masalah ini, tak tanggung-tanggung kemudian menggandeng pihak tentara Cina untuk membuat kamp rehabilitasi bergaya militer untuk mereka.

Menurut Tao, sebagian besar peserta kamp itu berasal dari keluarga broken home atau tidak diasuh dengan baik sewaktu masih kanak-kanak. Tambahnya lagi, hampir 20 persen dari mereka juga punya gangguan psikologis dan kepribadian lain yang perlu ditangani dengan serius.

clipped from www.printthis.clickability.com Here, on a military base outside Beijing, a progressive Chinese psychologist, Tao Ran, has established a treatment center for a distinctly 21st-century malady. Tao estimates that 4 to 6 percent of Chinese netizens, which includes more than 13 percent of Chinese college students, are addicts – a term he defines as anyone who spends more than six hours per day for three months or more on nonwork- or study-related Internet use. That amounts to as many as 17 million net junkies in China. Tao emphasizes that “Internet addiction” is a symptom of deeper family and psychological problems. The majority of patients come from broken homes or were emotionally neglected in childhood, he says, which is why he insists on treating young patients together with their parents. He says more than 20 percent of patients also have psychological problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity or personality disorders, which require more attention.

Korea termasuk negara yang koneksi internet broadband-nya lancar jaya; tak heran kalau negara itu juga mendapat wabah kecanduan internet yang cukup tinggi, terutama dari kalangan remaja. Lalu solusinya? Masukkan saja mereka ke dalam kamp khusus yang terisolasi dari internet (tanpa ponsel, apalagi komputer). Di sana mereka diajari beragam skill dunia nyata, mulai dari olahraga, kelas musik, kerajinan tangan, hingga berkuda. Intinya, kata seorang konselor, membuka mata mereka terhadap akivitas dan gaya hidup yang tidak melibatkan internet.

clipped from www.nytimes.com The compound — part boot camp, part rehab center — resembles programs around the world for troubled youths. Drill instructors drive young men through military-style obstacle courses, counselors lead group sessions, and there are even therapeutic workshops on pottery and drumming. But these young people are not battling alcohol or drugs. Rather, they have severe cases of what many in this country believe is a new and potentially deadly addiction: cyberspace. participants live at the camp, where they are denied computer use and allowed only one hour of cellphone calls a day, to prevent them from playing online games via the phone. They also follow a rigorous regimen of physical exercise and group activities, like horseback riding, aimed at building emotional connections to the real world and weakening those with the virtual one. “It is most important to provide them experience of a lifestyle without the Internet,” said Lee Yun-hee, a counselor. “Young Koreans don’t know what this is like.”

Tidak hanya sekedar memproduksi video game seperti game FPS America’s Army, AD AS kini membangun pusat perekrutan bertajuk “Army Experience Center” di dalam mall yang didesain seperti layaknya tempat dingdong alias arcade. Pengunjung bisa masuk dan menikmati game-game gratis, tentu sebagian bertema perang kemiliteran.

clipped from kotaku.com The U.S. Army wants you, gamers. It’s testing a new kind of recruitment center, one the New York Times is calling a “model for recruitment in urban areas,” The first, a $13 million facility built in the Franklin Mills mall in Philadelphia, PA, was designed to lure in shoppers and loiterers with free games like Rainbow Six: Vegas and Madden NFL 09. That’s right. Come for the free games, stay for the “three full-scale simulators, including an AH-64 Apache Longbow helicopter, an armed Humvee and a Black Hawk copter with M4 carbine assault rifles.” Dubbed the “Army Experience Center,” recruiters contend that the goal isn’t just to see who can kill more efficiently and rack up the highest scores, but to educate. “Most people think joining the Army means being a grunt, and that Iraq equals death,” First Sgt. Randy Jennings told the Times. “We try to show them that there’s more to the Army than carrying a gun. If people come in here and they learn that but they don’t join, that’s O.K.”

Baru-baru ini di sebuah forum internet muncul cerita mengenai seorang perekrut yang diminta oleh perusahaannya untuk menghindari para pencari kerja yang bermain game World of Warcraft, sebuah game online RPG populer. Alasannya antara lain karena mereka dianggap tidak akan bisa fokus 100% dengan pekerjaannya (karena akan selalu kepikiran dengan game-nya).

Game online, terutama yang berjenis MMORPG, memang sudah diketahui akan daya adiksinya yang membuat para pemainnya betah menghabiskan ratusan jam bermain game yang sama, meski tidak semua pemain bisa dibilang sampai mengalami ‘kecanduan’. Adilkah kalau mereka didiskriminasi dalam lowongan pekerjaan karena hobinya itu?

Well, setidaknya satu perusahaan di Singapura tidak melakukan diskriminasi itu, demikian seperti dikutip blog Kotaku dari harian Strait Times.

clipped from www.boingboing.net I met with a recruiter recently (online media industry) and in conversation I happened to mention I’d spent way too much time in the early 2000s playing online games, which I described as “the ones before World of Warcraft” (I went nuts for EQ1, SWG and the start of WoW, but since 2006 I have only put a handful of days into MMOG playing – as opposed to discussing them – I’ve obsessed over bicycles and cycling instead). He replied that employers specifically instruct him not to send them World of Warcraft players. He said there is a belief that WoW players cannot give 100% because their focus is elsewhere, their sleeping patterns are often not great, etc. I mentioned that some people have written about MMOG leadership experience as a career positive or a way to learn project management skills, and he shook his head. He has been specifically asked to avoid WoW players. A surprising number of players agree with this proposition.