In Control by In Control

help support AS WE ARE A NEW MEDIA OUTLET, WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT IN MANY WAYS! We will be asking for help from guest writers, parents and children to provide content for us, so please send us any letters or articles you would like featured in In Control. We are open for submissions for the website and for the next issue. So if you are interested, please email us at incontrolmaguk@gmail.com. We are aon various forms of social media, and we also have a blog: www.incontrolmagazine.wordpress.com. Twitter: http://twitter.com/InControlMagUK Facebook: http://facebook.com/InControlMagUK

Thank you from all of us here at In Control, we hope to hear from you soon! 2

EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S Hello! And welcome to the first ever edition of In Control Magazine - The Parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Guide To Gaming where we will debunking all the gaming myths and helping you through some of the more challenging and confusing areas of gaming. This magazine was created due to the lack of honest and independent sources of information in relation to children and gaming, so here at In Control we decided we would be that source of information for you! We are dedicated to bringing you the best information we can, using multiple sources and collating all of the most relevant bits, you can be sure you will be getting the best independent content from us!

Note

We really do hope you find this magazine beneficial for both you and your children, opening up discussions where you deem they are necessary. Please feel free to get in touch with us online or via email should you have any questions! Enjoy! Alice t: @InControlMagUK f: /InControlUK e: incontrolmaguk@gmail.com w: incontrolmagazine.wordpress.com

About the Editor Alice is a 22 year old BA (Hons) Media Communications undergraduate at Bath Spa University, currently in her final year. She is the founder and editor-in-chief of In Control, after deciding to pursue her dreams in videogame journalism. t: @alicefliguori

CONTENTS what to expect... NTERVIEW WITH 6. IHANNAH RUTHERFORD

9. 10.

J U S T W H AT A R E P E G I R AT I N G S A N D W H AT DO THEY MEAN?

12. 4

THE PARENTS’ GAMING GLOSSARY

P A R E N TA L C O N T R O L S ON THE XBOX ONE

14. TC OO NP S5O0L EPGCA AMNE DS

25.

ANXIETIES SURROUNDING V I D E O G A M E S

26. IJ NO TSEERP VHI GE WA RWR EI TT HT 29. FCAOC NT SS AOBLOEUST 30. A H E A L T H Y VIDEOGAMES AS PART OF

MEDIA DIET

31. KS EAEFPEI NOGN KL II DN SE 33. TG AO MP E 3S FMO OR BKII DL ES 34. YCOOUN’ TR RE OI NL 5

INTERVIEW WITH

Hannah Rutherford

Hannah Rutherford, a YouTuber with over 1 million subscribers, and a content creator for Yogscast, has been kind enough to do an interview for In Control! She gives us a brilliant insight into the videogame industry and truly lets us know what it is like being a part of it. Read the full interview below!

How long have you been a fan of Videogames? And what was your first videogame? I don’t remember exactly how young I was, but videogames were definitely there within the first five years of my life and never really left from that point onwards. My first videogames included platforming games like the ‘Jill of the Jungle’ trilogy, ‘Save Our Pizzas’ and ‘The Lion King’, plus educational games like ‘Math Blaster: Search for Spot’ and the occasional Pontoon or Solitaire game. What did you want to be when you grew up? As with any young child, I wanted to be a vet! That changed to publisher or criminal psychologist when I got to my teen years, in line in my growing reading obsession and love of crime TV and film.

challenge their society’s expectations whilst being clever and beautiful at the same time - the talking to animals thing was an additional bonus which I never quite mastered! My dad was also readily supplying any games he could find with female leads in, so Lara Croft was an obvious immediate influence. Then I discovered Xena: Warrior Princess, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek and it just went from there - I’m currently ‘hero crushing’ on most of the female Games of Thrones cast and Lagertha from ‘Vikings’. What is your all-time favourite videogame? And who is your favourite character?

What characters have been your heroes? My all time favourite would be the original ‘Tomb (Books/films/videogames) Raider’ game (although it hasn’t aged well!) with Lara Croft being my favourite character. The I’m a sucker sass combined with the unforgivable puzzles for the ‘strong’ and combat system made it a very tricky game female - I grew for my younger self (I was seven or eight), but it up in one of was the first game that actively challenged me Disney’s most in that way, and I’ve been raiding tombs every s u c c e s s f u l since. decades, when we What made you get involved with content began to see creation for Yogscast? heroines like Belle and The Yogscast is a group of people that began life P o c a h o n t a s by playing online games together, such as World emerge to of Warcraft, and we then began filming what we Tomb Raider | ©2011-2016 N4PCroft

did. It wasn’t so much active involvement and choice, more of an accidental development for all of us that slowly became more evolved as time went on.

videogames industry is that it opens you up to the Internet and the potential abuse that comes with it. Online gaming and general activity is slowly improving as companies provide better facilities to help combat abusive messages, but Are there any bad elements to working within it is still an active concern where anonymity is the Videogames industry - if so, what are easily available and no repercussions exist. Add they? to that being an active public figure, and you can easily become a target for the abuse, which is It can sometimes be very tricky to switch off sent to your social media or left on your Youtube when your job and your hobby are one and the page. same - it’s very difficult to locate exactly where to draw the line, and if you’re not careful you can What advice would you give to young women very easily overwork yourself during really busy who want to get involved in the industry? times when all the big games are being released before Christmas. People also assume that You are part of an ever growing community of Youtubers just sit and play games all day, and females in the industry - programmers, writers, can be quite dismissive about it - in reality about presenters, developers, artists - your voice is 80% of our time is taken up video editing over the next generation and you should not be afraid gaming. to do what you love because someone says ‘you can’t’. If you can’t get the facilities through What are the best parts of working within the your school, teach yourself. Get those online Videogames industry? resources - check places like UCAS and BAFTA - get the books out of the library, start writing or On the flip side of that, the Internet is also one drawing, teach yourself code - and don’t stop of the best things about my job - and I think it’s until you’ve achieved your goals! important for me to say that because too many people only see the Internet as a dangerous entity What advice do you have for parents who versus the full picture. It allows me to share my might be concerned about their children videos with viewers from all walks of life versus playing videogames? a localized television feed - and the viewers are the second awesome thing about my job. They As with anything, games should be a healthy, send me messages, they come to events to say balanced part of a child’s life versus an obsession hi and they give me motivational feedback that or their entire experience. I feel my experience keeps me going when I’m feeling down. growing up was really great. My dad was very good at sourcing appropriate games for me, and The third awesome thing is that I play games for actively checked game ratings before I could a living. Despite all the editing, it’s still fantastic! play them (e.g. if it was ‘mild horror’ or ‘tobacco’, I get to go to events to do coverage on the then he was more relaxed than allowing me to latest release, or I sometimes produce videos play a game with ‘sexual content’). Whenever for companies promoting their latest game. The we played games for a slightly older audience, highlight of the last few years was interviewing he was always on hand to ‘help with a tricky the Creative Developer of the Tomb Raider bit’ without being too intrusive - which I realise reboot and sending that video to my parents with in hindsight was to monitor my activity - and he a message along the lines of ‘remember that also limited my time at the computer so I went game that you bought me when I was seven? outside and played with friends. Well, here’s your daughter interviewing one of the developers on the brand new one’ - it was In the modern age, kids are playing online with mindblowing to have almost come full circle, but their friends instead of going outside and there’s also really exciting to have that kind of access as much more peer pressure to all have the same such a huge fan of the franchise. game, so I completely understand the concerns. I’ve met several parents who have felt coerced The big downside to working within the into buying an adult rated game for their ten year

People use them to relax in the same way as gaming, so I see it as just co-existing as an alternative hobby - the same as watching Netflix or sewing or going to the gym. We’re definitely witnessing the death of the physical bookstore and newspapers, but it’s far more related to digital alternatives like the Kindle than a direct correlation with the rise of gaming. What do you enjoy doing with your free time? How do you unwind? I like to read, hang out with the cat, play boardgames with friends and also go to the gym. I’m also quite a hardcore user of Netflix. Is there anything about the videogame industry you’d like to change? If so, what is it? Yes, I’d like the focus to be less about profit and more about pride in a product. It’s not an all inclusive statement - there are dedicated, hard working teams all over the globe producing excellent games on a variety of scales - but there’s been far too many times in recent years where the budget and timescale seems to trump the actual game quality itself. Those teams Hannah at Insomnia 57 | Multiplay © 2016 old because ‘everyone at school has it’ and would rather rush through a game to meet a they don’t want to feel like the bad person or deadline than delay it and ‘fix’ the storyline or make their kid the odd one out. One thing I can the major gameplay bugs. Sometimes they’re suggest is to take a leaf out of my minor annoyances, sometimes they GAMES SHOULD dad’s book - you can play the game are game-breakingly bad. Whenever yourself to see what it’s like, but you BE A HEALTHY, I hear about or experience these can also look up certifications for problems, I always wonder how easily BALANCED PART games before buying to see exactly it could have been solved with another what that rating is for, then make the OF A CHILD’S LIFE few months of development and a judgement call on whether to buy it slightly more relaxed hold on the or not. But it does always boil down to the same purse strings. message: if you are concerned over your child’s activity whilst gaming, then it’s your decision We would like to thank Hannah for her responses, whether to have a chat with them about how long and we hope you found them insightful - we they play for and what games they can play. certainly did!

Do you think Videogames might take over Follow Hannah on the following social media books in terms of popularity? Is this outlets: something you’d be concerned about? t: @lomadia As an avid book reader, I very much doubt f: /lomadia it. Everybody reads to some extent, but not https://www.youtube.com/user/yogscast2 everybody games. You can take a book in the bath or on holiday - it’s a little trickier to do that Do you have any other questions you’d like to with a gaming console or a desktop computer. ask? Email us at incontrolmaguk@gmail.com!

THE PARENTS’ G A M I N G

Glossary

In Control have devised a list of all the important terms and phrases you may come across as your child starts to get into videogames.

that operating systems use to talk to the hardware. FPS: First Person Shooter OR Frames Per Second.

HUD: Heads-up display. Easy-reference display that shows the most essential information (health, current weapon, radar, etc) on the screen without blocking the gamer’s view.

Lag: A delay in time between giving a command Contact us to let us know if there are any words and your character on screen performing the you’re still unsure of! action asked.

Alpha: A software term. First phase of testing software. Not usually open to gamers. Avatar: An image used by a player to represent themselves online or their on-screen character.

Beta: A software term. Second phase of testing software, beta’s will usually be practically glitchfree. Two types of beta: Open beta: The beta version of the software is available for anyone to test and report bugs to the company. Closed beta: The software is only available to selected people who may be testing for very specific things. Bug: Faults in the programming which may cause both good and bad effects such as: crashes, unintentionally high character advancement. (also known as a ‘glitch’)

Crash: When your console/computer stops responding, or reboots itself without asking. Servers can also crash during multiplayer games.

MMO, MMORPG: Massively Multiplayer Online / Role Playing Game. Games such as World of Warcraft fit in this genre. Mod: A modification for a pre-existing computer game OR a moderator who oversees forums or gaming channels (such as Twitch.TV)

NPC: Non-Playable Characters. Artificial Intelligence that make up some on-screen characters.

Patch: A software term. A file that fixes bugs and glitches, usually distributed via developer updates. Platform: The type of device to play the game on, for example: PC, Xbox One, Playstation 4, Nintendo DS, etc.

RPG: Role-Playing Game, a genre.

E3: Electronic Entertainment Expo.

Sim: A simulation, OR any character within The Sims franchise.

Expansion Pack: Lots of additional content for a game that is created by the developer.

Spawn: A place in a game where a character will come into existence.

Firmware: The in-built programs on hardware

TPS: Third Person Shooter, a genre.

JUST WHAT ARE PEGI RATINGS AND WHAT

Do they mean?

Ratings are necessary in all forms of media, from film to music, there is always an advisory if it is unsuitable for children. PEGI ratings are age ratings are there to guide you as parents as to what is suitable for your children. PEGI is a recognised symbol throughout Europe and is supported by the European Commission - so you can rest assure that these games are being properly assessed before being placed on the shelves.

These ratings confirm the content and help consumers, namely parents, when buying games for themselves or for others. They are guidelines, and will not be sold to those who are underage, so please bare this in mind if your child is asking for a game above their age range. Think to yourself; “would my child be able to purchase this without my presence?” and if the answer is no then they simply should not be playing it.

The publisher then completes the second part of the form relating to the content assessment of the game and taking into account the possible presence of violence, sex and other sensitive visual or audio content.

Please be mindful when buying games for children that they have the correct age rating and suitable content. The labels appear on both the front bad the back of the labels with the age labels of 3, 7, 12, 16 and 18.

Another thing to be careful of is when your children ‘Prior to release of each version of a game, are playing games at another child’s house and publishers complete an on-line content they have games that are not of the correct age assessment and declaration form. The first part rating, if you are concerned make sure there is of the form deals with legal provisions in certain a good line of communication between parental European countries. guardians and that rules are set.

According to the declared content, PEGI allocates a provisional age rating along with content descriptors to indicate why the game has been allocated that age category. The PEGI administrator (NICAM or VSC depending on the provisional age rating given) are sent an examination pack which contains all of the information and material required to double-check the provisional rating against the PEGI criteria. The publisher is then issued with a licence authorising the use of the age rating label together with the related content descriptor(s) for the game.’

This age bracket is suitable for all age groups, and if any violence is included it tends to be in a comical manner (no different to that of a Tom & Jerry episode, for instance). The games in this range are fantasy characters, so no association to real-life characters will be made, there will be no images or sounds that would frighten children, and there will be no bad language.

Seven is not too dissimilar to that of PEGI 3, but there may be some more frightening scenes or sounds in games with this label.

Videogames within this category will show violence that is slightly more graphic towards fantasy characters or it is possible to show nongraphic violence towards human-esque or recognisable animal characters. There will possibly be slightly more graphic nudity, but any bad language will be mild.

discrimination Drugs - can refer to or depict the use of drugs

Fear - game may be frightening to young children

Violence - the game contains depictions of violence

When this rating is given it Sex - the game depicts sexual is because the depiction of behaviour, sexual references or violence or sexual activity nudity replicates that of what one would expect in real life. There will be more extreme bad language, representations of tobacco or drug use, and Gambling - encourage or teaches depiction of criminal activities. gambling This is the adult classification. It is applied when the violence depicted in a game becomes gross violence or includes specific types of violence. This violence tends to be that would make the viewer or player feel revulsed.

Online - the game can be played online

Sometimes games may come with Extended Consumer Advice which gives very specific The descriptors are listed below, and they are information as to why a game may have received found on the back of packaging. They show its classification. the main reasons why a game has received a particular age rating. The eight descriptors are The ratings do not necessarily mean that the listed below. game is easier if it is a PEGI 3, it simply means that it is suitable for that age and above. Bad Language - contains bad language Discrimination - either contains depictions of discrimination, or material which could encourage

PEGI ratings can be scary at first, but once you know what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking at, you can be very well informed in order to make good decisions for your childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play. Feel free to contact us with questions at: incontrolmaguk@gmail.com

PA R E N TA L C O N T R O L S ON THE

Xbox One

The first issue of In Control brings you a howto guide on setting up Parental Controls on Microsoft’s Xbox One. Other consoles and devices will soon follow, keep an eye out on our website: http://incontrolmaguk.wordpress.com!

Firstly, it is important to make sure your account on the Xbox One has a passkey, so your children cannot access or change the parental controls you put in place.

XBOX ONE PASSKEY Xbox One gives you the ability to set a personal passkey. The six-character passkey offers the following benefits: • A passkey protects against a child signing in as the parent and overriding parental controls. This setting prevents a child from simply clicking on the parent’s picture, signing in as the parent, and changing the child’s otherwise p a r e n t a l l y controlled settings. • A passkey helps to prevent unauthorised charges. You can choose to require a passkey as part of any purchase on Xbox Live. Setting a passkey helps prevent children from making unapproved purchases. • A passkey allows the parent to grant content exceptions. The only way for a parent to override a content limitation is by entering his or her personal passkey, so it’s easier to manage what content your children use on your Xbox One console.

• Your passkey roams with you. The passkey that you set on your profile follows you to any Xbox One console you use. As long as you sign out when you leave, you can feel

secure knowing your account is safely saved to your friend’s Xbox One console and ready for you the next time you come over to play.

• A forgotten passkey defaults to your Microsoft account password. If you forget your passkey, the console will default to your Microsoft account password as a fail-safe.

H O W T O S ET U P PA R E N TA L CONTROLS We have used a very helpful article from TomsGuide.com to inform you on how best to set up parental controls on the Xbox One. 1. Create a user profile. To start, make sure that your child already has a Microsoft account. 2. Add user to family. Once you’re ready, venture to the home screen on your Xbox One, and make sure you’re signed in as yourself (not your child). From here, click on Manage games and apps. Select Settings. Scroll over to Family, and select Add to Family. Click on your child’s account (or Add New if he or she isn’t already registered on your device). 3. Accept Microsoft’s privacy statement. On the next screen, click Next to continue, or Privacy Statement if you want more information about Microsoft’s privacy policies. 4. Set parental controls. This screen represents the meat and potatoes of the Xbox One’s parental controls. There are three types of content restrictions: Access to content and apps,

Web filtering and descriptions in OneGuide. Under Access to content and apps, you can choose Child Defaults, Teen Defaults, Adult Defaults or Custom. Clicking Custom will offer a wealth of options, and you’ll have to scroll to the right to see them all. There are too many possible protocols to list here, but you’ll be able to control whether your kids can purchase content, use Skype, access social networks or share their information with friends or random players online. Web filtering is much simpler: You can select one of six filtering systems, which range from Designed for Children, which only allows kid-friendly sites, to Warned on Adult, which displays warnings on adult content but does not block it. OneGuide descriptions are a simple yes-or-no protocol: If you have your Xbox One plugged into a cable box, your kids can either use the Xbox One to read program descriptions, or they can’t. Program descriptions can sometimes include sexual or violent content, so choose wisely. With these tools at your disposal, you can ensure that each member of your household has an Xbox One experience suited to his or her needs. Even better, unlike PS4 sub-accounts, which stay linked to a parent’s account in perpetuity, Xbox One accounts can be delinked once a child is ready to fly the coop.

THE TOP 50 PC AND CONSOLE

Games for Kids

To kick start In Control we have decided to give friends. you an extensive list of the 50 best videogames Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer for children. (3DS) Listed alphabetically from PEGI 3 to PEGI 12, Rating: 8/10 we have collated the most honest scores and Genre: Simulation Publisher: Nintendo descriptions from IGN.com for you to see all in one place so you can choose which games are Animal Crossing: best for your children. All the games listed are Happy Home Designer playable on all current devices: PC, Xbox 360, focuses on the PS3, 3DS, Wii U, Xbox One and PS4. So don’t decorating and homeworry if your children do not have the most up to designing aspects of date console, there are still fun and educational the Animal Crossing games available for them on this list! games. Animals will ask players to design houses for them, and it’s up to designers-inthe-making to meet the animals’ requests by furnishing and decorating their homes. Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival (Wii U) Rating: 5/10 Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Wii U) Genre: Party Rating: 8.2/10 Publisher: Nintendo Genre: Puzzle

PEGI 3

The Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival game is a brandnew way to play with your favorite Animal Crossing characters. Your amiibo figures are front-and-center in this party game, and you’ll get to use them with fun content. Bring to life an expansive and dynamic board game where the board is based on the months of the year like the core Animal Crossing series. The goal? Make your villager the happiest in town and party hard with your

Publisher: Nintendo

The intrepid Captain Toad sets off on his own adventure for the very first time through a wide variety of tricky, enemy-infested, mazelike stages to find hidden gems and nab elusive gold stars. Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel Super Heroes (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, Wii U) Rating: 6.8/10 Genre: Action

Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios

FIFA 16. Make every match memorable with Heroes and increased control villains. Sorcerers in Midfield, and superheroes. i m p r o v e d Princesses and pirates. defensive moves, Disney Infinity invites more stars, and a you and your family to new way to play. enter those worlds in game experiences only Build your dream Disney, Marvel -- and your imagination --- can team in FIFA bring to life. With the new Toy Box 2.0, players can Ultimate Team, or mix, match and mash up characters and worlds compete as one of 12 Women’s National Teams to create any adventure they can imagine! Use for the first time ever in the FIFA franchise, the new Creator tool to quickly build your worlds including Germany, USA, France, Sweden, with ease. Create and share Toy Boxes online. England, Brazil, and more. FIFA 16 innovates Connect your Toy Box creations with friends. across the entire pitch, delivering a lifelike and Play without limits! authentic football experience. Forza Horizon 2 (Xbox 360, Xbox One) Rating: 9/10 Genre: Racing Publisher: Microsoft Race through a massive w i d e open world featuring Fantasia: Music Evolved (Xbox 360, Xbox One) d r a m a t i c Rating: 8.6/10 weather and Genre: Music day-to-night Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios cycle in Forza Horizon 2. Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved is a breakthrough Instantly connect with friends in the ultimate musical motion video game inspired by Disney’s celebration of speed, style, and action-packed classic animated film, Fantasia. In the game, driving. Explore beautiful and exotic locations in players enter the magical realm of Fantasia, more than 200 of the world’s greatest cars, all selected by the legendary sorcerer Yen Sid, to created with precise detail in stunning 1080p. hone their musical and magical prowess as his new apprentice. Fantasia: Music Evolved takes Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions (PS4, PS3, players on an interactive and immersive motion- Vita, PC) controlled journey through worlds Rating: 7.9/10 of music and magic. Genre: Shooter Publisher: Sierra FIFA 16 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Mobile, Xbox One, PS4) Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is Rating: 7.8/10 a new evolution of the iconic, fastGenre: Sports paced and frenetic Geometry Wars Publisher: Electronic Arts shooter gameplay. It introduces full 3D action and competitive online Create more moments of multiplayer for the first time in the magic than ever before with franchise.

Just Dance 2016 (PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Wii U) Rating: 9.6/10 Genre: Music Publisher: Ubisoft Just Dance 2016 starts the party with 40+ new tracks! Bust a move to “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson Ft. Bruno Mars and feel the beat in “All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor -- Just Dance 2016 features an amazing tracklist with visuals that are more creative and breath-taking than ever before.

Mario and Luigi Paper Jam (3DS) Rating: 5.3/10 Genre: RPG Publisher: Nintendo

Paper Mario jumps out of the book and into the bizarre adventures of Mario & Luigi, resulting in hilarious and dangerous hijinks. Become the superstar team of Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario to take on quests, take down enemies and untangle these two unique universes in this Lego Movie Videogame, playful new entry in the Mario & Luigi series. The (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Vita, Xbox One, PS4, Wii U, 3DS) Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash (Wii U) Rating: 6.5/10 Rating: 4.8/10 Genre: Action Genre: Sports Publisher: Warner Publisher: Nintendo Bros. Interactive In Mario Tennis: Ultra The LEGO Movie Smash, up to four Videogame is an players can compete action-adventure in tennis matches game that casts that could only take players in the role of place in the Mushroom Emmet, who must stop an evil tryant from taking Kingdom. With the over the world. addition of Jump Shots to hit high balls Mario Kart 8 (Wii U) overhead, or Giant Mushrooms that when Rating: 9/10 picked up make characters bigger, this Mario Genre: Racing Tennis is reborn with features enabling players Publisher: Nintendo to aggressively go after higher balls.

Turn your racing experience upside down! Nintendo’s Mario Kart franchise comes to the Wii U console in full HD, introducing new racing circuit designs and anti-gravity karts that will have players driving upside down. And for the first time, all of Bowser’s seven Koopalings are playable characters-- get a taste of being bad on the race track by playing as Iggy, Larry, Lemmy, Ludwig, Morton, Roy and Wendy. Players will also enjoy a variety of series-favorite features, including the return of 12-player online competitive play, hang-gliders, underwater racing and motorbikes.

Nintendogs and Cats (3DS) Rating: 7/10 Genre: Virtual Pet Publisher: Nintendo The adorable puppies of Nintendogs come to life in the palm of your hand on the Nintendo 3DS system with even cuter and more expressive puppies -- and kittens! The interaction between puppy and player also goes beyond the screens to draw players in like never before.

Paddington: Adventures in London (3DS) Rating: 8.5/10 Genre: Adventure Publisher: Kids Mania Paddington Bear arrives in London and tasks players with helping Paddington and the Brown family solve a series of engaging and playful mysteries in order to find explorer Montgomery Hyde. Along the way, he interacts with memorable Londoners, works with the police to catch thieves, solves puzzles given by his Aunt Lucy and satisfies his love of marmalade and sandwiches.

Peggle 2 propels players to the pegpopping paradise of the original Peggle game while delivering a host of new features and functionality. Unveiled today at gamescom, Peggle 2 offers allnew levels, new and improved power-ups, fantastic multiplayer modes, gesture controls with Kinect for Xbox One, the ability to customize the “Peggle Masters” who host the game, and much more. Pokemon Art Academy (3DS) Rating: 8.6/10 Genre: Productivity Publisher: Nintendo

This Pokémonthemed installment of the Art Academy series offers Pokémon fans and budding illustrators alike 40 Peanuts Movie: Snoopy’s Grand Adventure unique lessons to learn how to paint, (Xbox 360, 3DS, Xbox One, PS4, Wii U) sketch and draw Rating: 9.5/10 beloved Pokémon Genre: Platformer characters in Publisher: Activision 2D. Along the way, students of Pokémon Art The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy’s Grand Adventure Academy can pick up actual illustration skills that challenges curiosities of any age with they can transfer onto real canvas, or share their comfortable, pick-up-and-go controls and plenty digital masterpieces with the world. Pokémon Art of lighthearted surprises to discover. A second Academy boasts 40 lessons in which players can player can join the adventure as Woodstock to encounter favorite Pokémon from throughout the aid Snoopy by distracting creatures, opening series, such as Pikachu, Oshawott, Charizard, new paths and helping locate hidden collectibles. Torchic, Fletchling and Fennekin. Peggle 2 (Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4) Rating: 9/10 Genre: Puzzle Publisher: Electronic Arts One of the greatest arcadestyle puzzle games ever finally sees a sequel with the longawaited Peggle 2!

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon (3DS) Rating: 10/10 Genre: RPG Publisher: Nintendo In Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon. transform into one of 20 Pokémon and set out on an adventure in a world

inhabited solely by the 720 discovered Pokémon, including Legendary and Mythical Pokémon. This game boasts hours of replay-ability by randomly generating each dungeon, so players will never explore the same dungeon twice as they unravel this tale of adventure and mystery.

In Skylanders Trap Team, Kaos continues his ongoing quest to rule over Skylands. He has discovered the location of the legendary Playstation Pets (Vita) Cloudcracker Rating: 7.4/10 Prison -- a fortress Genre: Virtual pet built entirely out Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment of the magical PlayStation s u b s t a n c e Vita Pets is a Traptanium and pet simulation home to Skylands’ most nefarious baddies. In game where an attempt to build his own army of foes, Kaos players can blows up the prison, releasing the most wanted dress, bath, villains and blasting shards of Traptanium to play with and Earth in the form of Traps. Now it’s up to Portal train their Masters to recapture all of the escaped villains dog, explore using powerful Traptanium Traps and defeat multiple locations and more. Kaos before it’s too late! Sesame Street: Once Upon A Monster (Xbox 360) Rating: 8.5/10 G e n r e : Educational Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive In a truly original interactive experience, young players join Cookie Monster, Elmo and other Sesame Street characters as they explore a living storybook titled Once Upon a Monster. In the book, they make new zany monster friends from the Once Upon a Monster world and share in their adventures, solving problems, forging friendships and learning key life skills along the way. Parents and children literally become part of the whimsical storybook adventure by getting active together through dancing, jumping, flying and more. Skylanders Trap Team (3DS, iOS, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, Wii U) Rating: 7.6/10 Genre: Action Publisher: Activision

Super Mario 3D World (3DS, Wii U) Rating: 9.6/10 Genre: Platformer Publisher: Nintedo Work together with your friends or compete for the crown in the first multiplayer 3D Mario game for the Wii U console. In the Super Mario 3D World game, players finally get to play as Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach or Toad for the first time since Super Mario 2 -- and this time, they can play as all of these characters together! Super Mario Maker (Wii U) Rating: 9/10 Genre: Editor Platformer Publisher: Nintendo Super Mario Maker lets people’s imaginations run wild. For the first time ever, friends can have fun playing through levels they create for one another. The Wii U GamePad controller

makes it so easy for anyone to create levels; it may feel like simply sketching out ideas on paper. Players can enjoy a seemingly endless supply of inventive Mario levels from players around the world.

and take control of their environment to attract and host more than 60 species of wild piñata, utilizing hundreds of customizable elements to create their very own, distinctively unique, thriving paradise.

Trackmania Turbo (PC, PS4, Xbox One) Rating: 8.4/10 Genre: Racing Publisher: Ubisoft

Yoshi’s Woolly World (Wii U)

Dive into the arcade racing universe of TrackMania and discover the ultimate head-spinning experience in TrackMania Turbo. Highly replayable, Trackmania can provide you with a diversified gaming experience by blending arcade-style racing with the perfect track building toolbox: thanks to the revamped and easy to use Trackbuilder, you will be able to design an infinite number of outlandish tracks. Viva Pinata (Xbox 360, Xbox One) Rating: 8.2/10 Genre: Virtual Pet Publisher: Microsoft A wild and e a s y - t o control kids’ game by famed developer R a r e . Designed together with the “Viva Piñata” Saturday morning 3-D animated TV series, this game is a customizable, social and spontaneous game that invites players of all ages and skills to explore an immersive world where they are challenged to create and maintain a living garden ecosystem that grows in realtime. Beginning with a few basic tools, players build

Rating: 7.4/10 Genre: Platformer Publisher: Nintendo Embark on a new Yoshi adventure in a world made from yarn, cloth and textiles. Pulling on strings in the game usually leads to discoveries, while new transformations include a motorcycle, mole and airplane. The game’s simple platforming adventure challenges players to find hidden secrets. Zoo Tycoon (Xbox 360, Xbox One) Rating: 6.4/10 Genre: Simulation Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios The wildly popular Zoo Tycoon series is back and bigger than ever! This all-new take on the classic Zoo Tycoon series has all your favorite zoo animals available for a new level of up close and personal interactions with the animals and zoo, and with intuitive controls and fun tutorials that are enjoyable for players of all ages. From creating, caring and customizing, to building, sharing and socializing, Zoo Tycoon has something for everyone!

PEGI 7 Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4, Wii U, 3DS) Rating: 8.8/10 Genre: Adventure Publisher: Little Orbit Grab your magnifying glass, because Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations is an all-new, real-time, fully 3D action-oriented twist on the classic storydriven graphic adventure game. Finn and Jake decide to carry on the profession of Finn’s foster parents, who were Professional Investigators. Confronted with mysterious Land of Ooo disappearances and strange events, players will interrogate colorful inhabitants, dispatch evil doers in fast-paced combat, solve mind-bending puzzles, explore new and familiar locations, and genuinely feel as if they have stepped into their own personal episode of Adventure Time. Disney Infinity: 3.0 Edition (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, PC) Rating: 8.5/10 Genre: Action Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios Play without limits in this third iteration of Disney Infinity, the game that brings Disney toys to life in expansive video game worlds that encourage fans to mix and match their favorite franchises. Join Forces with some of your favorite characters as you play in their galaxies in story-driven adventures inside Play Sets or create your own universe in the Toy Box! Disney Magical World (3DS) Rating: 8.5/10 Genre: Adventure Publisher: Nintendo

Disney Magical World features dozens of Disney characters in a variety of Disney-themed worlds.

Players can customize their characters with hundreds of Disneyt h e m e d outfits and accessories, all while managing a café, planting crops and collecting Disney character cards. Players help different characters solve problems or find missing items. LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (3DS, Vita, PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One) Rating: 8.4/10 Genre: Action Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive In LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, the Caped Crusader joins forces with the super heroes of the DC Comics Universe and blasts off to outer space to stop the evil Brainiac from destroying Earth. Using the power of the Lantern Rings, Brainiac shrinks worlds to add to his twisted collection of miniature cities from across the universe. Now the greatest super heroes and the most cunning villains must unite and journey to different Lantern Worlds to collect the Lantern Rings and stop Brainiac before it’s too late. LEGO Dimensions (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One) Rating: 8.7/10 Genre: Action Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive When a mysterious and powerful vortex suddenly appears in various LEGO lands, heroes find themselves swept away and lost in each other’s LEGO worlds. To save their friends, Batman, Gandalf and Wyldstyle bravely jump into the vortex and quickly find themselves fighting across the LEGO DC Comics, LEGO The Lord of the Rings, The LEGO Movie, and other LEGO

universes to save all of LEGO humanity. Little Big Planet 3 (PS4) Rating: 8.7/10 Genre: Platformer Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Sackboy is back, this time with playable new friends in an all new handcrafted adventure. In LittleBigPlanet 3, Sackboy is transported to a new planet called Bunkum, a creative paradise where abundant ideas drift through the sky. Unwittingly, Sackboy helps release three mythical creatures called the Titans who aim to ruin Bunkum and transform the world’s most unskilled Creator, Newton, into a terrible monster. To restore balance to the land, Sackboy is going to need help in the form of Bunkum’s ancient heroes: Toggle, OddSock and Swoop. Minecraft (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Mobile, Vita, PS4, Xbox One, Wii U) Rating: 9/10 Genre: First-Person Action Publisher: Mojang Minecraft revolves around one simple principal: survival. The game is split into day and night cycles. During the day, you spend time gathering resources, whether it be searching for ore, digging holes, fishing or planting crops. Night is spent either indoors, mining underground tunnels, building tools or running around outside being chased by monsters. Ori and the Blind Forest (Xbox One) Rating: 9.5/10 Genre: Platformer Publisher: Microsoft

beautifully created environment while combating Kuro and completing in-game puzzles to help Ori save the blind forest. Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire (3DS) Rating: 7.8/10 Genre: Turn-Based RPG Publisher: Nintendo Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire will take you on a journey like no other as you collect, battle and trade Pokémon while trying to stop a shadowy group with plans to alter the Hoenn region forever. PvZ: Garden Warfare (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One) Rating: 8.2/10 Genre: Shooter P u b l i s h e r : Electronic Arts Ready the Peashooters and prepare for the craziest, funniest shooter in the universe: Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2. Dr. Zomboss has conquered Suburbia and transformed it into a zombie-filled, plant-free paradise. Now it’s the plants’ turn to take the offensive in the new 24-player Herbal Assault mode and reclaim their turf. Or, choose your side in 4-player co-op or solo play. With new modes, classes, and loads of humor, Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 lets you wage war on seriousness (and your friends!) however you want. Rayman Legends (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Vita, Xbox One, PS4, Wii U, 3DS) Rating: 9.5/10 Genre: Platformer Publisher: Ubisoft

Join Ori, the last spirit guardian, as he discovers the mysteries of a dying forest while Rayman, Globox and the escaping the evil Teensies are back to embark clutches of Kuro, the on a new fantasy adventure through a series dark owl. Play through a of legendary worlds with new environments,

characters and enemies. Rayman Legends features a variety of uniquely-themed levels including several musical maps intricately set to creative soundtracks and a spooky medieval theme. Skylanders Superchargers (Wii U, PS3, Xbox One) Rating: 9.5/10 Genre: Action P u b l i s h e r : Activision S k y l a n d e r s SuperChargers expands upon the franchise’s signature gameplay to introduce vehicles-to-life -- an entirely new way for fans to experience the magic of Skylands! In his latest efforts to take down the Skylanders and rule Skylands, Kaos has unleashed his most sinister weapon ever -- a massive “Doomstation of Ultimate Doomstruction” capable of eating the sky itself! Fortunately, Master Eon has seen the warning signs and assembled a special team of Skylanders to pilot an unstoppable fleet of land, sea and sky vehicles with the power to travel through the reign of destruction to stop Kaos! Tearaway Unfolded (PS4)

Trove (PC) Rating: 9.6/10 Genre: Online Adventure Publisher: Trion Worlds Trove is a freeto-play online adventure RPG by Trion.

PEGI 12 Hasbro Family Fun Pack (Xbox One, PS4) Rating: 7.3/10 Genre: Party Publisher: Ubisoft The Hasbro Family Fun Pack offers countless hours of family fun and enriching experiences for all ages with four Hasbro board gaming classics all in one compilation: Monopoly, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit and Risk! Countless surprises are waiting for you in these special digital versions of the games: 3D experiences, fresh new customizable rules, missions and many more! Bring the fun to a new level and party with your friends and family on the couch or with people all around the world online. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The (3DS) Rating: 9.5/10 Genre: Action Publisher: Nintendo

After a nightmare involving a certain young princess and the evil thief Ganondorf, series From the creators of LittleBigPlanet comes hero Link wakes up in his Tearaway Unfolded, a mesmerizing adventure home village tucked away through a magical world of paper, rebuilt for behind the mysterious PlayStation 4. The adventure that was once held Lost Woods. The only in your hands has been reimagined as a world Kokiri without a fairy, Link soon meets up with his inside your TV, with a bigger, more beautiful new traveling companion, the winged Navi, and world to explore, and all new fourth-wall-busting sets out on the adventure of his life. The quest, which inevitably turns into a rescue mission ways to play. for Princess Zelda, leads players through dark dungeons, picturesque villages, into the heart Rating: 7.6/10 Genre: Adventure Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

of a volcano, to the bottom of a lake, through a haunted desert, deep into a magical forest, into a giant tree, the belly of a beast, and even through time.

Project Spark (Xbox One) Rating: 8/10 Genre: Productivity Publisher: Microsoft

Portal 2 (Xbox 360, PC) Rating: 9.5/10 Genre: First-Person Shooter/Puzzle Publisher: Valve

Project Spark brings imagination to life in an open-world, digital sandbox that enables anyone to create, play, and share whatever they can imagine. This is a powerful yet simple way to build and play your own worlds, stories, and games. See how a creator did what they did, and, when you’re ready, become a creator yourself. Project Spark provides a powerful creation engine that unlocks world building through intuitive sculpting tools to shape and paint a new world, as well as a simple yet incredibly powerful visual programming language to make anything happen. Share all of your creations with a dynamic community, and play what the community makes. Project Spark brings creation to life and presents endless opportunities for play.

The highly anticipated sequel to 2007’s Game of the Year, Portal 2 is a hilariously mind-bending adventure that challenges you to use wits over weaponry in a funhouse of diabolical science. Using a highly experimental portal device, you’ll once again face off against a lethally inventive, power-mad A.I. named GLaDOS. And this time you won’t be alone. Meet an expanded cast of characters as you think your way through dangerous, never-before-seen areas of Aperture Laboratories. Break the laws of spatial physics in ways you never thought possible, with a wider variety of portal puzzles and an expansive story that spans a single player and co-operative game mode.

Sims 4, The (PC) Rating: 7.5/10 Genre: Simulation Publisher: Electronic Arts

Professor Layton VS Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney (3DS) Rating: 7.8/10 Genre: Adventure Publisher: Nintendo Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright puts the two sleuthing heroes in a mysterious new world where peculiar things are happening. A villain named Story Teller writes the future of the world with his pen. Meanwhile, witches live in the shadows. Phoenix Wright will have his services sought out by a girl who’s suspected of witchcraft, while Layton will find himself battling some all new puzzles.

The Sims 4 combines revolutionary Sims with powerful creative tools and all-new emotionbased gameplay, to reinvent The Sims experience. Built on the foundation of brand new technologies that Maxis calls SmartSim, The Sims 4 is the most intelligent, relatable and personal life simulation ever. For the first time, player choice shapes not just a single moment, but the entire life journey of the Sims.

Spore (PC) Rating: 8.5/10 Genre: Simulation Publisher: Electronic Arts From the very tiniest forms of life to the intergalactic level of existence, you are in control of life itself in this simulation game by Will Wright. Beginning in the primordial ooze, players create a character from DNA that will grow, survive, and mate as it evolves from a single-celled organism to a fully-formed member of an establishing species. As more and more creatures inhabit the world, and as evolution forms the future, your species will join herds, clans, even civilizations. The more advanced the creatures of the planet grow, the more complex the strife of survival becomes. Super Smash Bros (Wii U) Rating: 9.5/10 Genre: Fighting Publisher: Nintendo Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a brawling, battling, action-packed video game that features a varied roster of characters for fourplayer simultaneous melees! Use your Wii Remote and Nunchuck controls to deal serious damage to your opponents and win the game! This Wii entry in the popular series features a number of new additions, including an Adventure Mode (with co-op play), a wealth of new characters and stages, and online combat for multiple players to face off against each other from anywhere!

We hope you enjoyed our fifty top games for consoles and PC. If you are worried about any of the games, don’t hesitate to contact us, and make sure you check out the article on PEGI Ratings on page 10 for more information on what they all mean, and what to look out for when

you’re shopping for games! Ratings are very important, and they are used in all forms of media when they are necessary; so please do not ignore the ratings, unless you are comfortable with your child playing something they should not be able to, and would not able to purchase without a parent present. This list is hopefully extensive enough for you to be able to find at least a few games you would be okay with your child playing. Our next issue will feature some top games for mobiles, but for the time being, our guest writer has written about her favourite three mobile games on page 29, so remember to check that out! Are there any games on the list you’ve played before, or are there any that aren’t listed that you’d recommend? Let us know by getting in touch with us via email: incontrolmaguk@gmail. com or Twitter: @InControlMagUK!

ANXIETIES SURROUNDING

Videogames

For as long as videogames have existed, there has always been a worry that they may be doing more harm than good. There have been numerous news reports telling us that our children will probably become just as bad as the characters they are seeing on screen, but this is not necessarily the case. Here we are addressing the issues that seem to be a constant looming stigma over the medium of videogames.

VIOLENCE AND VIDEOGAMES

The idea that videogames create violent people is massively outdated and incorrect. While there have been many studies over the correlation between violence and videogames (Columbine, for example) there has never been any conclusive results that confirm a link between the two. Videogames do not create violent people anymore than film or TV, and the idea that just because your child is ‘taking the role’ of a violent character and therefore ‘physically performing’ these violent actions, doesn’t mean they are then going to go out into the real world and commit the same acts. There are studies (American Pyschological Association, 2015) that suggest that there is a direct correlation (Norcia, 2014), but these studies are constantly under fire by psychologists and criminologists, suggesting they are ‘misleading and alarmist’ (raisesmartkid. com). Scholar Henry Jenkins ‘concludes that teenage players are able to leave the emotional effects of the game behind when the game is over’ (raisesmartkid.com). If you are concerned about violence having an impact on your children, please refer to the PEGI ratings and make sure your children are not playing any games you do not want them to play, including when they are going round a friend’s house.

sure that your children are spending a good amount of time exercising as well as spending time in front of the TV. If you choose to buy your child the Wii or the WiiU then it is much easier to combine the two things, so your child will not feel like they are no longer playing videogames, but will also be exercising and keeping fit. Watch out for issues like carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive strain injury as these can be less easy to spot in comparison to obesity and seizures. Videogames are part of a healthy media consumption, and therefore should be treated as such. It is also easy for children to begin to develop attention problems elsewhere in life, so make sure your children are able to reach goals laid out for or by them. Parents should be aware of the amount of time their children are spending on videogames, too much of anything can be too much (Child Development Institute).

VIDEOGAMES AND FOUL LANGUAGE

If you allow your children to play online, be aware that if you allow them to interact with other players they may pick up bad language if they hear it in their headphones. Try to avoid them using a headset so you can monitor what they are hearing and what they are responding to. It is important to make sure your child is only playing the correct age-rated games online, but please remember that gamers of all ages can play games online, so the language may be far too adult-oriented for your children to be listening to.

H E A LT H A N D V I D E O G A M E S

There are growing concerns with your children’s physical health and their time spent on videogames. It is perhaps a good idea to make

INTERVIEW WITH

At In Control, we were lucky enough to get the brilliant Joseph Garrett - better known as StampyCat, a popular YouTuber with over 7 million subscribers - to do an interview with us! We ask him about all things gaming and a little bit about his childhood. Read below for the full interview! So, tell us a bit about your school days, and what you got out of being at school… I had a great time at school and a good group of friends. I am not very academically minded so was never the best at exams but I loved to learn. What subjects did you enjoy the most at school? And which were you not so keen on? My favourites were science and media studies. I wasn’t keen on maths or foreign languages. What did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was younger I wanted to be an animator. By the time I was leaving school I wanted to be a video editor/director.

What benefits do you think videogames bring to children? I think that different games give different benefits to children. Most games have some type of problem solving so can help children deal with problems. They can also help children deal with losing. Lots of videogames are also very social compared to other types of media. Who do you admire in the videogame industry? I really admire Tim Schafer and his team at Double Fine Productions. Not many other people are as creative and take so many risks with each project. I am also a big fan of Vale Games and their business model.

Do you remember your first videogame? and characters he created. What was it? And what did you like about it? What characters have been your heroes? The first game I remember playing was called (Books/films/videogames) Glider. It was a small Apple Mac game where you control a paper airplane flying around a house. I always loved Peter Pan growing up and would I enjoyed the challenge of trying to always keep find any excuse to dress up as him. the plane afloat by flying over air vents in the ground. It was very difficult because I was so Do you get any questions from parents over young, so it was satisfying when I reached a new your social media channels? If so what kinds area. of things do they ask? What were your favourite games while you I get lots of questions. It is usually them asking were growing up? And do you still play me to message their child or what events I am them? attending. Sometimes I get angry questions from parents for “ignoring” their children. I don’t think I didn’t own a home games console until I was all parents understand how many messages I a teenager. I spent most of my time playing get sent each day. Most are very happy with me Pokémon on the Gameboy. I recently bought a though. new Gameboy Advance to go back and play the old Pokémon games again. I have not played Do you think parents are justifiably any of the newer ones though. concerned about how I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A much time their kids spend What advice do you have for STRONGER FOCUS ON on videogaming? parents whose children want to play games that are above EDUCATION AND MORE Yes. Just like everything their age? life, too much is bad. A VIDEOGAMES IN SCHOOLS. in balance of exercise and It depends on age of the child I THINK MINECRAFT IS THE videogame play is important. and the game they want to play. I would much prefer a child START OF THAT. I would recommend the parent play a videogame rather than play the game first so they can see first hand passively watch TV. When playing a videogame what content the game contains. I would also they are mentally engaged. advise that the parent restricts online interaction if the child is under the age of 13. How would you like to see the future of gaming for children progress? Do you think that playing videogames is taking over reading books for children? And I would like to see a stronger focus on education if so, is this as much of a problem as people and more videogames in schools. I think may think? Minecraft is the start of that. I think it has contributed to the decline of book reading. I think future generations will have poor spelling, grammar and handwriting. I don’t think it will be a big problem as almost all writing and reading will be on devices that correct mistakes. It’s sad but probably not as important as some people may think.

What (if any) difference would you like to see made in the age restrictions (PEGI) on videogames? I think that the system needs to be explained better to parents. Especially with digital downloads where the parents won’t see a box.

Who was your favourite book/author growing What do you think about the fans-becomingup? And why? creators phenomenon that you are now a part of? As a child I loved Dr. Seuss. I loved the worlds

you feel famous? In real life it is not too difficult. I just can’t visit any places where there would be lots of children. On the street I get recognized but not swarmed. Online I deal with lots of lovely messages and What do you think is in store for the future of lots of hate. I have become used to it at this point. spectating gameplay? I feel famous to the point where I feel like lots of people know who I am. I wouldn’t compare I think that E-sports will become more established myself to a mainstream celebrity though. in the West like it has in places like South Korea and Japan. I am not sure how much bigger We would like to thank Stampy for all of his streaming sites like Twitch will become. I think answers and hope that you and your children there is room for a slight increase in average can benefit from what he has to say! viewership but then it will level out. Stampy can be found on the following social Have you ever thought of creating your own media channels: game? f: /stampylongnose Yes. I would love to one day. t: @Stampylongnose http://youtube.comcom/Stampylonghead How do you relax and switch off? Or is it difficult to? Do you have any other questions you’d like to ask StampyCat? Email us at incontrolmaguk@ I play video games other than Minecraft. gmail.com! I think it’s great. With any big community you will have people that want to talk about their hobby. I wouldn’t have expected how big it has become though.

How are you coping with the ‘fame’? - Do

FACTS ABOUT

Consoles

cartridges was the Fairchild Channel F console, introduced in August 1976. • The PlayStation 2 was the first video game system to use DVD technology.

• The PlayStation was originally designed • The Nintendo GameCube’s as a Nintendo Console with Sony to proprietary disc held 1.5 gigabytes make the inside components when of data -- 190 times more than what Nintendo console changed their minds an N64 game cartridge could hold. about making the console Sony decided to go ahead make the PlayStation. • Nintendo’s Game Boy was the most successful game system ever, with • The first gaming console to ever more than 100 million units sold ship with an internal memory was worldwide. the SEGA Saturn and it shipped with about one megabyte of memory. • The best-selling consoles of all time are the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS both tied with an about 155 million units sold. • The Sega Dreamcast was the first console to implement online play over a phone line, calling the system Sega Net. • The Microsoft Xbox was the first video game system to provide full support for HDTV. • The PlayStation 2 was the first system to have graphics capability better than that of the leading-edge personal computer at the time of its release. • The Nintendo N64 marked the first time that computer graphics workstation manufacturer Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) developed game hardware technology. • The Atari Pong video game console was the No. 1 selling item for the holiday season in 1975. • The first console to have games available in the form of add-on

VIDEOGAMES AS PART OF A H E A LT H Y M E D I A We are constantly hearing how bad foods are okay in moderation, and you just have to make sure that you avoid heavy consumption of the wrong foods (Lehman), so is that the same with videogames? Well, certainly, you can get bad videogames and good videogames, but in this instance we are discussing videogames as part of an all-round media diet; television, films, music and gaming. As Jordan Shapiro puts it: ‘parents tend to approach video games like junk food: games are fine in moderation but ultimately they are an evil temptation that’s more bad than good’.

SOCIALISING

Some studies suggest that ‘with many games having some kind of multiplayer component these days, it might encourage teamwork’ (Lee, 2016). Teamworking is a notable skill among many who have to work in teams in their school careers, be that at a young age or at university level, and therefore encouraging teamwork through gaming may be a step in the right direction, especially for shy children. It is also important that children are encouraged and ‘some games explicitly reward effective cooperation, supporting and helping behavior’ (Lee, 2016).

E D U C AT I O N A L

While the idea of videogames is mainly seen as a form of fun, a pastime, it is important to remember that videogames can be educational. Minecraft is certainly seen as an educational game and it is important to realise that there are many other games that exist purely to be educational, such as Big Brain Academy. There are other puzzle games whose sole purpose is not necessarily education, but they are fun and encourage problem-solving; another key skill for use throughout life.

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It is important to understand that while some games ’can be educational while others are just plain fun’ (Child Development Institute).

FUN

While it may be scary to see your child playing games that include some form of violence, it is crucial to remember that ‘children have always engaged in some form of aggressive play ... In the olden days it was [games such as] “cops and robbers”’ (Child Development Institute) so it is nothing to worry about if you see your child playing Super Mario and see them ‘killing’ a Goomba (angry mushroom). That being said, it is important to understand the difference between light-hearted, fun ‘violence’, and realistic violence, thus bringing forward the point of making sure you are aware of PEGI ratings to allow your child to have fun rather than be witness to massive amounts of violence.

COMPUTER LITERACY

In the ever growing world of technology, it is important to understand the impact this will have on your children’s lives. It is certainly becoming an absolute necessity that new employees have full computer literacy and are competent to work with technology. It is well known that videogames may help children ‘improve their manual dexterity and computer literacy’ (Norcia, 2014) and this is something that should definitely be encouraged. So with all of this to bear in mind, it is important to understand that videogames are not inherently bad or ‘evil’ as some may have you believing. It is crucial to remember that they are active forms of media and are therefore creating less passivity in your child’s life; if you let them enjoy games as part of a more rounded media diet, and you are aware of what they’re up to, then your children should bear no negative response to videogames.

KEEPING KIDS SAFE

Online

Gaming online can be a fun way for your child to enjoy one of their favourite activities while keeping social on the internet at the same time. Interacting with either friends, or strangers from across the globe, both pose their own risks. It is important both you and your child are aware of the dangers that exist within playing online, how to understand these dangers, and how to handle a dangerous situation. Stay Safe Online have some good tips for parents: The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is the equivalent of PEGI in the United States, and nearly all of Mexico and Canada. It has a very useful breakdown on the types of games that your children can pick up, download, and play: Boxed games – Games that come on a disc or cartridge that are purchased from a store or online, and played on a game device like a console, handheld or PC. Digital download – These are downloaded directly to the console, PC or handheld device. Most consoles have their own online marketplaces where games can be downloaded. Some are full-length feature titles while many others are more casual in nature, like puzzle and word games. Mobile – Smartphones and tablets let users download apps from online marketplaces linked to a credit card, e-wallet or your mobile phone account. Games are the most popular category of mobile apps. Like all games, their content can vary in terms of age-appropriateness. Subscription – Online games or arcades where the player signs up for an account that lets them play a game (or many games) for a certain

amount of time for a fee. “Free-to-play” and “freemium” – These games are typically supported by ads instead of purchase or subscription fees; “freemium” games let you play a limited portion for free but require that you pay to access new content or features. Mobile apps, browser-based games and other types of casual games will often use one of these business models. Social

networking games – Played from within a social network like Facebook, these games encourage users to share content and updates with others in their social network. These games often include the opportunity to buy in-game items with real money, reward players for recruiting their friends to join the game, and may leverage some of the user’s personal information (which is included in their social network profile) to tailor the game experience or advertisements to their interests.

GAMING TIPS FOR PARENTS Keep a clean machine: Before your kids start playing, be sure your computer has an activated security suite: a firewall, anti-spyware software, and anti-virus software. Make passwords long and strong: Be sure your kids have strong passwords for their gaming accounts. Passwords should be at least eight characters long and a mix of upper and lowercase letters and numbers and symbols. Remain positively engaged: Let your kids know they can come to you if they feel uncomfortable when playing a game. Participate in the game with your kids. Check the rating: Checking for a game’s PEG

- on game packages, online or in some mobile app storefronts – is a great place to start in terms of gauging its age-appropriateness. There may also be ratings from PEGI that tell you what kind of content is in the game, please refer to our article on PEGI ratings on page 10 for more information.

Explain privacy: Make sure your kids know that they may not send out any materials to fellow gamers that contain private information and/or data.

Empower your children to handle problems: Make sure your kid knows how to block and/or report a cyberbully. Tell them to keep a record of the conversation if they are being harassed and encourage them not to engage the bully. You can also notify a game’s publisher or online service about the offender. Check the online service’s or game publisher’s Terms of Service for instructions on how to file a complaint about another player, and be sure to include as much information and evidence as possible about the player in question.

Don’t let your children download anything without your permission: This includes cheat programs that may claim to help your child perform better in the game, but really could be carrying malware.

Protect personal information: Make sure your child’s user name does not give away their real name, location, gender, age, or any other personal information. (Examples: beach01, book2). Your kids should also use an avatar, not an actual picture of themselves.

If you have any more queries about keeping your child safe online, please feel free to email us at InControlMagUK@gmail.com!

Protect your identity: If your kids are playing a game that features live voice chat, make sure they are disguising their voice. If the game does not have this feature, do not let them use voice chat. Limit their time playing games: Some consoles offer parental control features (read our article on Xbox One Parental Control features on page ??) that let parents decide when and for how long their child can play, who they can play with, or even let you “mute” or disable the ability for your child to hear the game’s online chat (which can at times be pretty colorful). Do your research: Make sure you read and understand the ratings for the games that your children are playing. Some game sites have multiple games with different ratings, so check all of them.

Keep the computer out in the open: If your computer is in a central location, you can monitor your kids’ online activities.

Enable parental controls: Use built-in parental controls on your Web browser.

Prohibition won’t work: Your children will use computers and games consoles, even if it’s at school or at friends’ houses. If you talk to your kids about risks and good judgment, they will be able to get a lot more out of the web.

TOP THREE MOBILE GAMES

for kids

By Charlotte Taylor-Ashfield

obstacles, candies and evil Gummy King Bears are introduced for you to defeat. Candy Mania Unlike console games, mobile games are (mostly) is free to play but does have the options to buy free – but remember to set up a secure password more lives, however, if you go to the Settings to prevent any accidental in-game purchases! menu and restrictions options you can turn off in-app purchases under ‘allowed content’ to prevent any unexpected bank balance surprises. Available on: Android and IOS

N E K O AT S U M E : KITTY COLLECTOR The goal of this game? Collect cute cats by buying toys and treats and lure cats to your garden so you take photographs of them to complete your COLORFY: COLORING BOOK cat book. Far less hassle then buying a family pet, and has the added bonus of a lesson in F O R A D U LT S patience and putting down your mobile phone for a couple of minutes because cats don’t arrive Don’t be fooled by the name! Most kids when you have the app open! colouring apps are aimed at toddlers and preschoolers with block primary colours and cartoon Available on: Android and IOS characters. This app with floral, mandala and animal illustrations is great for them once they are a little older, want a challenge, and access to a whole rainbow of colours. You can save as you go and send final pieces to friends and family. Available on: Android, IOS and Kindle

CANDY BLAST MANIA Matching puzzle game that is utterly addictive an far superior to the ubiquitous Candy Crush in that no social media profile linking necessary or prompted for in order to play so much more child friendly. As you progress through the levels new

YOU’RE IN CONTROL

from you, to us

We asked you to send in questions, queries, or letters from your children to share with us or to get advice. We’re here to give you answers to anything game-related, from a non-biased, non governmental stance. We’re your independent

Dear In Control,

My eleven year old son is very into his video games and I’ve never discouraged him from them – in fact I like that sometimes they keep him quiet while I can get on with other things, knowing he’s safe and at home. The trouble is, now he’s started saying that he’s saving his pocket money up for new games like ‘Grand Theft Auto’ (which I’ve Googled to see what sort of game it is) and I don’t think that at 11 he should be playing. He says his friends at school have played it and he’s had a go and enjoyed it and I’m being old fashioned for not allowing him to buy it. In fact he says that as it’s his money, he can buy whatever he likes. Will he be prevented from buying this in a shop? Could he get into trouble for trying to buy it and what could I be saying to him to make him understand that there are age-limits for a reason? I don’t want him to feel left out with his friends, and I don’t feel able to forbid him in playing whatever games he wants when he’s at their houses, but I really don’t want him to be playing ‘Grand Theft Auto’ in our house. I’d really appreciate any help and advice you could give me.

Worried Mum 34

videogame magazine for parents, to help you understand what your children are up to and to iron out any worries or fears. Email us at incontrolmaguk@gmail.com if you want to be featured in the next magazine! Hi ‘Worried Mum’! Firstly, thank you for sending us in your concerns and queries. Your son should not be playing games that are rated 18, which is Grand Theft Auto’s PEGI. However, it can be hard with peer pressure not to give in and your son may be feeling embarrassed that he doesn’t own it. This does not mean you should buy it for him if you feel uncomfortable to do so. Yes, he would be prevented from buying it in a shop, as he is clearly underage. Regarding what to explain to him, if he is allowed to watch films that are rated above his age limit, then be careful how you word this. As a parent, you should be mindful of keeping the censorship consistent throughout all types of media. If you allow your son to watch film or television content that is unsuitable for his age, after you have reviewed it, then perhaps this should be no different. If you review the content, and then make him aware of what he is asking to play, then explain PEGI ratings to him (pg 10), and suggest other games he can play from our Top 50 (pg 14). If you are still uncomfortable with him playing this game, then you can really only stop him playing it in your house, and perhaps making his friends parents’ aware of the games they are playing. We hope this has been helpful!

Dear In Control,

My 14 year old son plays on his X-box almost every day. On the weekend, he will often be playing war games such as Black Ops for 5 to 6 hours. I am concerned about the amount of time my son spends on his X-Box and obviously, also the nature of the games he engages in. I have the following questions: Has there been credible scientific research into the impact of these kinds of games on children/ young people? What kind of effects have been recognised as resulting from spending a considerable amount of time on x-box? Do those effects include heightened aggression/ agitation? From a developmental perspective, I was wondering whether there were good educational games which my son could play on his X-box? Thank you in Advance,

Helen D.

Hi Helen D! Thank you for getting in touch. Your son playing Xbox for long periods of time is nothing uncommon, but do make sure it is scattered between other activities such as exercise. Black Ops is part of the Call of Duty franchise which is rated 18, so is obviously initially unsuitable. There has been a lot of research into violent games impact young people, and none of it has been conclusive. ‘Dr. Goldstein and Dr. Williams have cited studies that have shown a negative correlation between violent video games and acts of aggression, finding that the increases in aggression wore off if the player was able to play a violent game.’ * Getting a break from computer games is often a good way to reduce agitation, but as stated above there is no direct link with aggression. We have listed our Top 50 games (pg 14) which includes educational and puzzle games such as Portal 2, which is PEGI 12. We hope this has been helpful for you, Helen! * Ferguson, C.J. (2008) “The school shooting/violent video game link: causal relationship or moral panic?” Journal of Investigative Psychology & Offender Profiling, Vol 5, Issue 1, p25-37

And finally, a letter from one of our readers’ children, discussing why he prefers playing games that are above his age. Some food for thought as to what children really get from games, and reassuring some that violent games do not equal violent behaviour.

Dear In Control,

I like to play Xbox with my friends because they’re funny and they help me with games I struggle with. The main games I like are ‘Call of Duty’, ‘Tom Clancy’s The Division’, and ‘Rainbow Six Siege’ because they are level based games. When you play enough you get a high level. I also like these games because they all have a story as you play along. I also like these games because they are competetion based. When I’m with my friends I can brag about how I am a higher level. Sometimes Xbox games introduce new places, for example ‘Skyrim’ introduces you to a whole new world that you can roam around in. I think that I play Xbox quite a lot, the main reason is for team-based games, or figuiring out puzzles on ‘Halo’, or completing a difficult mission on ‘The Division’.

Pradeep, age 14.