.jpg "Bandai Namco Amusement Europe Launches More Stores in the UK!")
Following the successful launch of the first ever Bandai Namco Cross Store outside of Japan and Victoria Place recent brand store opening, a continued expansion of Bandai Namco brand stores will launch nationally in December 2023 which will include popular collectable Gashapon, Ichibankuji, Sun-Star stationery, arcade experiences and more!
Let the celebrations resume! Today, iconic video game publisher Atari and developer Digital Eclipse reveal a free content update for the interactive anthology experience Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration.
Coming December 5, 2023, this update rings in the holiday season with the addition of 12 fan-favourite Atari 2600 titles from the console’s heyday.
From officially released titles to player-powered homebrews, to once-lost Atari prototypes, Atari 50 shapes up to be the gift that keeps on giving.
From glorious 16K wonders such as Deathchase and Jet Pac to extreme-value budget releases like Booty and Rebelstar and the beautiful games of Pete Cooke and Raffaele Cecco, ZX Dreams celebrates all those games we played – and loved.
Serenity Forge & Numskull Games are thrilled to confirm the European Retail release of Coffee Talk: Double Pack Edition is available now at leading retailers for Nintendo Switch. The PlayStation Editions will arrive slightly later, in early December.
Drawing on Safe In Our World's in-depth understanding of mental health in the gaming community and Ubisoft’s long-term commitment to create positive gaming experiences, they co-developed the “Good Game Playbook”, a guide designed to equip players to identify, counter, and shield themselves from in-game toxicity.
Teaching goes super-Sonic, as study shows use of gaming culture helps 90% of primary students learn more
A new study by Brunel University reveals that video games are making a huge difference in the classroom for teachers and students alike. More than 90% of students who attended lessons where video games formed a key part of the experience, said that video game content helped them to enjoy subjects more and learn more effectively.
The principles behind these teaching methods have arrived in classrooms courtesy of Checkpoint, a video-game inspired education platform that, according to this new study, is responsible for genuine and marked improvements. Both in the way pupils are engaging with the teachers — and their implementation of the National Curriculum.
Partnering with SEGA for this study, Checkpoint designs, writes and curates teaching materials that tap into gaming culture. From Sonic the Hedgehog to Planet Zoo, Checkpoint is helping teachers educate their students through the lens of gaming. These learning materials were welcomed by any school who used them.
“We wanted to see whether our approach actually had the benefits we intended,” said Checkpoint’s founder and editor-in-chief Tamer Asfahani. “So we approached the educational experts at Brunel University London to design an independent study to evaluate the extent to which key stage 2 children engaged with our learning materials.”
Brunel’s Professor Kate Hoskins led a team of experts from the university’s Department of Education, who worked with five teachers at four London schools to trial learning materials for a science lesson that’s part of the National Curriculum. The aim of the lesson was for the students – aged 7 to 11 – to learn how animals are classified into different species and groups based on various characteristics, and to practise doing this themselves. Instead of categorising normal animals, the students were tasked with organising Sonic and his fellow SEGA characters into the correct groups.
Interviews and questionnaires found that the lesson was “overwhelmingly positive”, with teachers praising the engagement of children who they knew struggled in a more traditional learning environment. “The link to children’s game culture enabled participation across otherwise marginalised groups,” said Professor Hoskins. “Including minority ethnic, SEND” — those with special educational needs and disabilities — “and low socioeconomic status children.”
Checkpoint were thrilled with the findings and are continuing to develop their gaming-inspired learning modules, which are completely free of charge, on their website and are looking forward to working with more schools and improving childrens’ education with the vehicle of video games.
For more on Brunel’s research, check out quotes from teachers, Tamer Asfahani, and Professor Hoskin’s, below.
Research Data and Developments in a Modern Classroom
One of the teachers pointed out how when they started talking about the character, the students were immediately engaged. “They loved the fact that it’s something that’s in everyday life. Especially the boys — they realise, okay, yes, that’s different,” the teacher said, adding that the learning materials were something that he and his colleagues can use as a basis, and adapt to the needs of various classrooms. The students were similarly enthusiastic.
And when the researchers analysed which of the National Curriculum’s key skills were hit by the lesson, all the desired ones were being gained; with listening, creativity and problem-solving scoring particularly well.
“The students’ responses suggest that incorporating gaming culture elements in the classroom can lead to a more enriching learning experience for students across the socioeconomic and cultural spectrum, transforming the way they engage with and understand scientific concepts,” Professor Hoskins said. “Teachers can potentially foster a deeper connection between students and the subject matter when bringing the excitement and challenges of video games into the learning process, ultimately promoting a lasting interest in science education.”
Checkpoint’s Asfahani welcomed the findings. “Thanks to this study, we have data confirming that teachers and researchers should work together to create innovative instructional strategies that harness the power of gaming culture and facilitate deeper learning for students, in key stage 2 science lessons and beyond,” he said.
“This collaborative effort will not only contribute to the ongoing development of effective teaching practices, but also inspire a new generation of students to become passionate, lifelong learners in the field of science and other subjects; with the potential to be especially positive for less confident learners.”
The research was made possible by the Brunel Innovation Voucher Scheme, designed to promote collaborative innovation between the university and UK-based small businesses, social enterprises and third-sector organisations.
Key Links
- The report – ‘Leveraging students’ game culture in education: Validating the benefits of utilising videogames to inform pedagogy’, by Professor Kate Hoskins, Professor Mike Watts and Dr Asma Lebbakhar from Brunel University London, and by Tamer Asfahani and Chris Winson-Longley of Checkpoint – is available at https://checkpointmagazine.
com/videogames-can-help- children-learn-more- effectively/ - Further information about the Brunel Innovation Voucher Scheme is available at https://www.brunel.ac.uk/
business/Help-for-SMEs/ Innovation-Voucher-Scheme
These visual novel adventures truly capture the essence and seductive pull of the World of Darkness far better than the movie Interview with a Vampire, in which eternal life appears to be reduced to wandering around, bored and bickering (coincidentally the names of my canine teeth).
Available for PS4 and Switch, this collector’s edition is the perfect excuse to spend an evening lost in the murkier side of life, with a bottle of red…wine….to keep you company.
Leading digital lifestyle accessories brand, Trust Electronics Ltd, is pleased to announce the launch of its latest gaming chairs, the GXT 703 Riye and GXT 714 Ruya. Both comfortable and stylish, they are built to be durable and breathable to support gamers for long periods of time. With each chair available in various colours with slightly different features and styles, there will be an option to fit into any gaming setup.
The Trust GXT 703 Riye Gaming Chair is available for RRP £129.99 from Very and the GXT 714 Ruya Gaming Chair is available for RRP £199.99 from Very.
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| The docking station allows gamers to easily connect to a wide variety of monitors, controllers, and peripherals |
Syntech, an innovative manufacturer of quality and affordable electronic accessories and consumer technology products, is thrilled to announce that its recently launched 6-in-1 USB-C Docking Station is compatible for Asus ROG Ally users. Providing users with 6 different ports to meet most needs, and the ability to output to a 4K monitor or TV at 60Hz, it is a handy and ergonomically designed gadget to complement the new Asus ROG Ally handheld gaming console.
The Syntech 6-in-1 Docking Station for Asus ROG Ally and Steam Deck is available for £36.99/$39.99 on Amazon UK and Amazon US
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Thanks to the support of the backers, the Astebros Kickstarter campaign was successful, allowing them to raise over €100,000. This is Neofid Studios’ most ambitious project to date, and they worked tirelessly to deliver a game that lives up to fans’ expectations.
Astebros is a game that combines the classic elements of the platformer genre with rogue-lite elements, providing a unique and dynamic experience in every game. Players will be able to explore thrilling environments, battle formidable enemies and discover a compelling story that delves deep into the origins of the Demons of Asteborg universe.
Strictly Limited Games, in partnership with SUCCESS Corp, is excited to team up and release the limited boxed editions of Akai Ito & Aoi Shiro HD Remaster for Nintendo Switch. Get ready to experience these two previously exclusive Japanese PlayStation 2 Visual Novels remastered in HD and packed into one Definitive Nintendo Switch version for the first time in the West.
These editions will exclusively be available at Strictly Limited Games and will be the ONLY physical version of the game worldwide.
https://www.strictlylimitedgames.com/collections/akai-ito-aoi-shiro-hd
The research, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, analysed more than 13,000 video game characters and found that men speak twice as much as women.
The study, led by Dr Stephanie Rennick at the University of Glasgow and Dr Seán G. Roberts at Cardiff University, performed the first large-scale test of gender imbalance in the dialogue of 50 role-playing video games (RPGs).
It discovered that games include twice as much male dialogue as female dialogue on average. 94% of games studied had more male dialogue than female dialogue, including games with multiple female protagonists like Final Fantasy X-2 or King’s Quest VII.
GameSir today announces the launch of its new T4 Kaleid RGB gaming controller. Equipped with special motion aim/steer technology, users can enjoy their favourite games with motion control, or through regular analogue stick gameplay.
The GameSir T4 Kaleid is available on the GameSir website now at a discounted rate of $41.99/£41.99 (RRP £41.99) and AliExpress for £37/$43.
It will also be available on Amazon.com and Amazon UK at the end of April for $41.99/£41.99/€57.99
Boasting Hall-Effect magnetic sensing joysticks providing anti-drift technology, the T4 Kaleid is a durable controller that retains its precision over the course of its use. Joy-con drift can greatly impact gaming, so users of the T4k can rest assured that their controller will not be affected by the wear down caused by continued heavy usage.
Syntech, an innovative manufacturer of quality and affordable electronic accessories and consumer technology products has today announced the launch of its new 6-in-1 USB-C Docking Station for Steam Deck.
Providing users with 6 different ports to meet most needs, and the ability to output to a 4K monitor or TV at 60Hz, it is a handy and ergonomically designed gadget to complement a Steam Deck gaming setup.
The Syntech 6-in-1 Docking Station for Steam Deck is available for £39.99/$39.99 on Amazon UK and Amazon US
The latest addition to the HaloLock™ system continues ESR’s mission to level up MagSafe
ESR, a leading global brand in tech accessories, today launches its latest product to level up MagSafe, the HaloLock™ Power Bank Wallet. Instead of having to choose between attaching a wallet, stand, or a power bank on the back of a phone, the HaloLock™ Power Bank Wallet combines all three in one convenient, user-friendly accessory.
The HaloLock™ Power Bank Wallet is available from 6th April on Amazon for $59.99 with UK and European availability on Amazon in May.
