As much as those overused phrases like “going green” and “greening” tend to annoy me with their catchphrasey, fad-promoting, mainstream media nature, as today is, after all, Earth Day, I’ve made an exception to my personal ban on the term and put together a little list of things we, as gamers, can do green up our gameplay, starting with…

5. Rent. And then buy used
Sure, video games don’t generally come wrapped up in tons of packaging… but how long do you think those cellophane sleeves will be around in the world’s landfills? Think of all the millions of games that are sold every year and the millions of little plastic wrappers that go along with them. Besides… buying used will save you money, too. That means you can afford more games!

And I don’t mean you have to buy exclusively from Gamestop or other profit-mongering resellers. Garage sales are great places to find used games (and if you happen to come across a mom cleaning out their college-age kid who was foolish enough to leave their games at home’s old room, you can often get a whole box of stuff for around $10)

4. Invest in rechargeable battery packs
Especially if you have a Wii. Those controllers suck down the double As like there’s no tomorrow. Get yourself a nice charging station for your Wii-remote instead of filling the dumpster with spent batteries.

3. Power down your console
There’s really no life-altering need to have your console constantly plugged in. Stand-by mode consumes power, too, you know. Stick them on a power strip and flip the switch to off when you’re not using them.

… Or at least make use the power saver options built into the consoles, like the 360’s Auto-Off feature (for those nights when you stagger off to bed and accidentally forget to shut your console off after a Halo 3 marathon).

2. Unplug your chargers
Did you know that your PSP and DS chargers continue to draw power even when you don’t have your handheld plugged into them? If you’re not using the charger, don’t leave it plugged into the outlet. Stash it in a drawer until you need it again. Same goes for controller charging stations.

1. Donate, don’t dump
We all have games we don’t play anymore. I see loads of retro cartridges and consoles all the time at garage sales, and I’m amazed at how many people have told me that they’re just going to throw them out if they don’t sell (which usually results in me purchasing said games and consoles… I consequentially own two Super Nintendos, two Dreamcasts, three original GameBoys, more controllers than I can plug in at any given time, and several duplicate titles). There are lots of people and organizations out there who’d love to have some games, even if they’re not the latest tech.

Some interesting new today, the Pew Internet & American Life Project just released the results of the first-ever national survey of youth and video games in the U.S.

First some background.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project run by the Pew Research Center, a “nonprofit fact tank that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world”, according to their website. They are nonpartisan and take no position on policy issues, though the Pew Charitable Trusts from which they draw support, funds both advocacy and non-advocacy groups.

The survey was performed using a 16 page questionnaire with questions for the both the teenagers and their accompanying parent. The statistical data consists of information gathered nationally between Nov. 1 2007 and Feb. 5 2008 from 1102 youths aged 12-17.

The report is 75 pages long, and if you’d like to read it in it’s entirety, you can download the full report (PDF) here

So what did they find out? Well, here’s some numbers.

• 97% of those surveyed play some kind of video game. This includes console, PC, web, handheld, and cell games.
• 99% of the males survey, and 94% of the females surveyed play video games
• 80% of those who play games play five or more different genres
• 82% of those who play games, play games on their own, but 71% of this group also play games with others.
• 86% play games on a console

So what were the most popular genres? The top ten:

1. Racing
2. Puzzle
3. Sports
4. Action (in which they include GTA)
5. Adventure
6. Rhythm
7. Strategy
8. Simulation
9. Fighting
10. First Person Shooters

I was actually a little surprised (probably more than I should have been, now that I think about it) at this list, 1) to see that the FPS genre only just barely made the top ten, and 2) to see that RPGs and MMOs didn’t make the top ten (they came in at 11 and 13, respectively). In retrospect, though, is it really that surprising that games targeted more at older gamers (firmly at older gamers in the case of FPSs) don’t rank as highly for teens?

Furthermore, the survey determined that gaming is not only often a social experience, but also that gamers who take part in social interaction related to games tend to be more civically and politically engaged.

On the parental side of things,:

• 32% of teens who play games responded that at least one of their favorite games was rated M or higher
• 72% of parents check the rating before allowing their children to play a game, and only 46% say they sometimes stop their child from playing, and 13% say games have a negative influence on their children (though to be fair, 19% reported the opposite effect).

There is more to the report… much, much more, so I would suggest giving it a read if you have the time (and the inclination to ready some very dry statistics). Some things to keep in mind while reading, though… 1) the survey focuses exclusively on minors aged 12 to 17, and 2) it’s a survey of who’s playing what, with some relations to civics… not, for example, the effects of playing violent games on behavior, a comprehensive study we’re still largely waiting on.

A friend of mine was over last night for a little Wii, and she did something that bugs the heck out of me. She put a game back in the wrong place. And that’s when I realized, I have a problem. I’m WAY too obsessed with the way I keep my games.

I’m sure most gamers out there keep their collection organized, but I think I might take things to the extreme. In the first place, my games are organized, first, by system (in alphabetical order of the console’s name), then alphabetically by title (unless the title is part of a series, in which case series name trumps title… however, system trumps series, so Final Fantasy VII is on a completely different shelf than Final Fantasy XII).

All games absolutely must also have cover art. If I happen to buy a used game that doesn’t have cover art, I will get on the internet and search until I find an image file big enough for me to print out and stick on the case.

I also log all of my games (and game hardware) at time of purchase, with purchase price (sans sales tax), date, and whether it was a new or used title. The log gets updated for both purchases and sales, even though it’s rare that I sell a game (in addition to compulsively organizing my games, I’m also kind of a hoarder…). The result is that I could tell you damn near exactly how much money I’ve invested in games over the past 8 years (but I won’t), and can get a pretty good estimate even further back than that.

And don’t even get me started on the accessories…

So tell me… am I alone, or are other gamers just as picky as I am?

Ok, maybe it won’t be the next Wii, but it’s still pretty nifty. If only I were a little more hardware-inclined… and could afford a Roomba…

Courtesy of Kotaku… did anyone know that someone has been working on a Metal Gear Solid novel? Surely this info must have been floating out there in cyberspace somewhere, but I just heard about it five minutes ago when I found out the damn thing had been published and is available for purchase (I must be slipping…).

The author, one Raymond Benson, seems to do quite a lot of James Bond novels. Me, I’ve never heard of the guy, and I have to admit, I’m curious. I don’t think I’ve seen a video game-based book since those Super Mario choose your own adventure books I read back in the third grade. Hell, at $10.36 I think I’ll snag a copy and see what’s up.

Metal Gear Solid (Paperback)

No, this post isn’t about those horrible games that are saturated in pink hues and revolve around cuddly anthropomorphic animal friends that developers market to pre-teen girls. This is about the Games 4 Girls competition, an event in connection with ChicTech and the U of I’s Department of Computer Science, in which college-age women design and implement a video game for their younger counterparts in middle and high school.

This year’s competition began in January, and the winners were just announced. As part a of the ChicTech initiative, the goal is to get girls interested in computer science. Participants compete for cash prizes of up to $1000 per team member, and games are judged by a panel of high school age women.

This is the fourth year for the competition. I actually had the pleasure of participating in the very first G4G with a team of women in computer science at Parkland (we didn’t place, but we did walk away with an honorable mention). It’s a great opportunity to really dive into something that women may not have ever considered as a career previously, and a whole lot of fun. By the sound of things on their website, they’ve expanded a bit and accept entries from all over the country now.

It’s too late to enter this year, obviously, but if you haven’t heard of it, and think you may be interested in the next G4G, drop by the competition’s website and take a look. Never too early to start planning. Check out the games that won last year, while you’re at it, and stay tuned because I’m sure they’ll post download links for this year’s winning games.

FEARnet has posted an interview with director/producer/mutilator of good video game storylines, Uwe Boll… which in and of itself, wouldn’t normally interest me a whole lot, seeing as this is the man who brought us such cinematic masterpieces as the screen adaption of BloodRayne, House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark, and In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale.

What did catch my attention, though were the last two questions the interviewer asked:

Are you aware that there is a petition online, signed by 18,000 people, requesting that you stop making movies?

Yeah, I know that. 18,000 is not enough to convince me.

How many would it take?

One million. Now we have a new goal.

Note that since the interview showed up, the petition’s number of signatures has increased to more than 56,000. Sign the petition here.

Happy April first, everyone. I hope you’re all having a prank-filled day. The unfortunate downside to the festivities is that it’s next to impossible to find any valid gaming news… and even when you do, it’s still suspect. So I’ve pretty much given up. Instead, here’s some of the better April Fool’s Day fun from gaming sites around the net.

XBOX.com is unveiling some new products. I gotta get me one of those XBOX Live board games…

Kotaku has decided to shift their focus from gaming to cakes. All hail Kaketaku!

Destructoid has sadly been taken over by FOX news.

Gamespot has some questionable news stories.

IGN has leaked the trailer to the new Legend of Zelda movie.

Blizzard has revealed several new releases, including the Bard class for WoW, Molten Core, and the Diablo Loot Piñata.

Game.co.uk is taking pre-orders for the Double Bass controller.

Vail Daily brings us the low-down on “Latesleeper Extreme”.

GamePolitics pokes fun at FOXnews for something that’s a real joke, but not in the April Fool’s Day sense…

Updates

Hello Kitty Online Adventures is open for business.

ThinkGeek is jumping on the Wii peripheral bandwagon with the all new Super Pii Pii Brothers and the Wii-mote… er… Harness. Bonus: includes gameplay video, though you may not want to watch if you’re at work and your boss doesn’t have a sense of humor.

ThinkGeek is also featuring the Wii-Helm.

Feminist Gamers has exposed an illegal Pokemon fighting ring.

VG Cats has a new look.

XFire has been 1337-ified.

Have no fear, I’ll update as I find more. Feel free to post a link or two of your own in the comments section.

If you’re heading up to the Milwakee area this weekend, or are looking for a bit of a road trip to while away your days off, you might want to check out the Midwest Gaming Classic going on all weekend long.

What is it? Why it’s a gaming convention. In the midwest. And it covers just about every aspect of electronic gaming imaginable. You can buy and play classic arcade and pinball machines, check out some new stuff, buy, sell, and trade gaming merch, listen to one of the speakers at the event… maybe win a raffle prize (like a Wii or a trip to Six Flags).

But most of all, it’s an excuse for gamers to get together with other gamers. Things kick off Saturday at 10am at Olympia Resort, and the convention runs through Sunday. Tickets are $10 for one day or $20 for both.

Check the official site for more details.

For some reason I’ve come across more bizarre games than I usually do on a daily basis today, so here’s a quick look at them, for your entertainment.

Zombie BBQ
Platform: Nintendo DS
Publisher: Gammick
Developer: Enjoy Up
Genre: Shooter
Coming In: October 2008

Synopsis: Little Red Riding Hood (no, really…) must fight evil zombies (seriously…) to save a fairy tale land (so not kidding…). Bonus: one piece of official artwork depicts a scythe-wielding zombie-pig. It’s described as a shooter that uses the DS stylus for targeting. I guess the BBQ part comes when you get yourself a flamethrower…

Bus Driver
Platform: Windows PC
Publisher: SCS Software
Developer: SCS Software
Genre: Driving Sim
Coming in: Available now

Synopsis: All the heart-stopping, mind-blowing action packed excitement of… driving a bus. That’s pretty much it here. You pick up passengers, and you drive them along 30 different routes. Whilst obeying traffic rules. Without upsetting them. You even have your choice of 12 different kinds of buses!

Chicken Shoot
Platform: Wii
Publisher: Destination Software
Developer: DSI Games
Genre: Shooter
Coming in: Available now

Synopsis: Grab you Wii Remote and shoot some chickens. In Chicken Shoot, you do pretty much what the title implies… You help a farmer obliterate his fowl. Thankfully this game is meant to be a little weird.

Last Flight
Platform: Wii (WiiWare)
Publisher: Blobber Team
Developer: Blobber Team
Genre: Hack and Slash
Coming in: Late 2008/Early 2009… if you’re in Japan

Synopsis: The WiiWare section of the U.S. Wii Shop Channel is pretty lame at the moment, but the Japanese sector has got some pretty nifty game downloads (we’re supposed to start seeing the same in May over here). Coming later this year for them is Last Flight, a Wii downloadable game in which food critic Larry Adelman must fight vampires. On a plane.