Library Blogs

It was bound to happen: The Computer & Video Game Archive is now on Twitter. Follow us at @umcvga.

Why do we enjoy playing scary games so much? Nicholaus Noles, a developmental psychologist at the University of Michigan, gives us a psychological perspective into the science behind our attraction to games that inspire a sense of fear, horror or danger. One of the reasons he gives is that they "allow us to experience powerful and complex emotions in a safe way," and that developers use situations in which gamers have limited control over a scary situation to create an effective horror-filled experience.

Our water game carnival has concluded, and the people receiving Amazon gift cards for their efforts are listed below.

Here are our top games from last week. Our water game carnival event has also now concluded, and the winners will be announced shortly.

Librarian Avenger (and one of my former students) Erica Firment has a new post up, where she describes her life in video game terms: "A Parent’s Life as a Video Game"...when I was pregnant with my daughter, I realized that pregnancy is essentially a really immersive resource-conservation RPG. I was always asking myself questions like: “Do I pick up this stuff on the floor, or do I save my Bending Over points for later?”

Professor Sheila Murphy is teaching her class again this semester, entitled "Video Games as Culture/Form." Besides a trip to our archive to get up close and personal with some of the more violent games in our collection, students from the class are also contributing to the course blog at http://videogameform.blogspot.com/, where they give their unedited perspectives on a variety of topics related to video games and culture.

We now have the new Nintendo 3DS available in the archive, along with two games: Rayman 3D & Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D. (More games to come, of course.) If you've been wondering how Nintendo can offer a true 3D experience without the need for special glasses, you can now see for yourself!

Here are our top games from last week, with Sengoku BASARA quickly venturing to the top (better known as "the samurai game," which is much easier to say). Also, a reminder that there is only one more week to participate in our water games carnival, so try out a few water-themed games for a chance to win an Amazon gift certificate!

Authored by Doug Carmichael: We've all hear of first person shooters (Halo, Call of Duty) and third person shooters (Gears of War). Ever tried a second person shooter? What would that even look like? Well, I found an interesting entry into what must be a rather minuscule genre: Second Person Shooter Zato. (requires downloading a plug-in to play) Quirky, challenging, and actually very fun, I recommend everyone try it for a unique experience.

Here are the top 10 games from last week. Also, a reminder that our Water Game Carnival starts today - start playing games from our water-themed game list today to be entered into our Amazon gift card drawing!