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Nearly Half of All Adults Play Video Games
More surprises from the institute of "didn't see that one coming." Eight out of ten kids between the ages of 4 and 17 play computer or video games according to new poll data from AOL Games and The Association Press.
81% of kids play at least occasionally compared with 38% of adults who admit to playing computer or video games in any capacity, and 45% of those adult gamers are female. Lest you assume that means half the Halo 3 crowd, remember that "computer games" include everything from online versions of Tic Tac Toe to Solitaire and Texas Hold 'Em.
Actually, a few surprises in the following stats culled from the press release:
Nearly half of all adult gamers are under 40 years old.
Only one third of adult gamers are married with children.
A majority of kids play video games, but not with their parents, and younger parents are more likely to play games with their kids than older parents.
A majority cited price as the deciding factor in whether they'll purchase a video game console this holiday.
The typical adult gamers games for 2 hours each week ("Shooter" fans play 4 hours per week, while "Adventure / RPG" fans play 5 hours per week).
41% of all games classify themselves as "hardcore" or spend at least 3 hours per week playing video games.
58% of hardcore gamers are male, while 42% are female.
Spike TV Announces Categories and Nominees for 5th Annual 'Video Game Awards'
Landmark Award Show Returns To Sin City For Its Fifth Anniversary On December 7; Premieres Sunday, December 9 at 9 PMHalo 3 And BioShock Lead This Year's Class With Seven Nominations Each, Including Game Of The Year November 12, 2007: 02:22 PM EST

NEW YORK, Nov. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Spike TV's "Video Game Awards" returns this year with a 5th anniversary celebration that will gather some of the world's hottest creators and designers as they honor the year's greatest achievements gaming. This year, Halo 3 and BioShock lead the way with seven nominations apiece, including the night's most prestigious category, Game of the Year.
Spike TV's 2007 "Video Game Awards" tapes Friday, December 7 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and will premiere Sunday, December 9 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT).
"Since Spike TV's inception, the 'Video Game Awards' and developing video game programming has been a priority and an integral part of our brand," says Casey Patterson senior vice president, event production and executive producer of the 2007 'Video Game Awards,'" "In our 5th year of the 'VGA's,' I'm thrilled with how far we've come as a network to establish our overall presence in the video game world. With the success of Spike TV's late night series, 'Game Head' and the integration of GameTrailers into the MTVN family, we continue to expand our in-house expertise. In addition, we've brought together an advisory council of some of the most respected and influential experts in the video game industry to select this year's winners. The 'VGA's' are all about giving gamers one definitive, major entertainment event to celebrate the best games of the year and the emerging superstars who make them."
The year's biggest celebration for gamers returns to Las Vegas for the fifth anniversary. Spike TV's 2007 "Video Game Awards" will be a multi- platform event, integrating special categories exclusive to mobile voting. These mobile-exclusive categories include Mobile Game of the Year, Best Action Game, Best Casual Game, Best Multiplayer Game, Best Visual Design and a special award for Innovation in Mobile Gaming.
Nominees for Spike TV's 2007 "Video Game Awards" were determined by the VGA Advisory Council, made up of a group of the most well respected experts in the industry who, for the first time in history, will also determine the show's winners. Games released between November 16, 2006 and December 1, 2007 were eligible for nomination. Fan voting, however, will not be left out, as the winner in the Most Addictive Game category will be solely determined by the fans. Voting for the award begins today only at www.vga.spiketv.com and will close Saturday, December 8. Categories and nominees are listed below.
The official sponsors of Spike TV's 2007 "Video Game Awards" are Burger King(R), GameStop(TM), Mountain Dew, Stride(TM) Gum, Tag(TM), U.S. Air Force, and Verizon Wireless.
Spike TV's 2007 "Video Game Awards" pays tribute to the outstanding achievements of games, designers, animation, breakthrough technology, music and performances of the past year in the industry. The awards also provide a glimpse at the future of gaming -- including exclusive sneak peeks and world premiere footage of some of the most anticipated games of 2007 and beyond.

Following are the nominees for Spike TV's 2007 "Video Game Awards:"






















Albie Hecht, Oscar(R)-nominated producer and co-creator of the "Kids' Choice" and "Video Game Awards," and Casey Patterson, senior vice president, event production & talent development for Spike TV will serve as executive producers of Spike TV's 2007 Video Game Awards. Greg Sills is supervising producer, Alicia Portugal is producer and Scott Fishman is executive in charge of production.
Spike TV is available in 96.1 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc. .

Mattson Technology, Inc. Announces Upcoming Retirement of President and Chief Operating Officer Robert MacKnight


FREMONT, Calif., Nov. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mattson Technology, Inc. , a leading supplier of advanced process equipment used to manufacture semiconductors, today announced that industry veteran Robert B. MacKnight, the Company's president and chief operating officer (COO), will retire effective March 31, 2008. Effective March 31, 2008, Mattson Technology's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), David L. Dutton, will assume the role of president and CEO, and MacKnight will remain with the Company for a transitional period of time as a vice president reporting to Dutton. Dutton previously served as the Company's president and CEO from December 2001 to June 2005.
MacKnight joined Mattson Technology in 2001 as executive vice president of business development and general manager of the RTP Product Business Unit, and later that year assumed the role of president of the TFE product division. In late 2002, MacKnight was promoted to the position of COO, overseeing all of the company's internal operations. In June 2005, MacKnight was promoted to president and COO.
Under the leadership of Dutton and MacKnight, Mattson Technology has driven the development of new products and has achieved significant growth in customer positions and market share. Dutton commented, "Bob's contributions to Mattson Technology have been significant, and we will miss him." He added, "I am very confident, however, that with the very strong general managers in place we will be even more aggressive about our opportunities than ever before. We wish Bob the very best in his retirement. He has certainly earned it with his dedicated service to our industry for over 30 years."

Video Games


VIDEO GAME OF THE WEEK


Just for the sake of satisfying my own curiosity, I want to get hooked to an electrocardiograph and an electroencephalograph while I'm playing a "Zelda" game.
I want to measure the spikes in heart and brain activity when I open treasure boxes in The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass -- just to see how much this game affects me physically.
Someone should do a study.
Maybe the folks at Nintendo already have. They certainly know how to make an addictive adventure game. Time after time, their "Zelda" games are must-play hits, even when they've had to make the franchise fit a new type of gaming system. They scored big with the phenomenally fun The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii, and they've done it again with Phantom Hourglass for the hand-held Dual Screen system.
Phantom Hourglass picks up where The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, the final "Zelda" game for the GameCube, left off. Link, the elfin hero of the game, finds himself on the high seas. Almost immediately, Princess Zelda is taken away by a mysterious ghost ship. Link has to sail from isle to isle in search of clues that will help him find the ship and rescue the princess.
At nearly every stop, he'll have to crawl through dangerous dungeons to uncover treasures that will help him in his quest (these are the endorphin-inducing prizes that pop out of treasure chests).
The voice- and touch-sensitive Dual Screen offers fun new ways of using treasures. You might find yourself brushing (or even blowing) digital "dust" away from sea charts to locate secret islands.
Often, you'll have to use your stylus to draw courses through dangerous waters. And you can even scribble notes on maps so you won't forget hints you learned early in the game by the time you have an opportunity to use them.
Phantom Hourglass is surprisingly complex for a hand-held game. Other hand-held "Zeldas" were deep, but not this deep. There are dozens of distractions that will lure you away from the main quest line. You'll find that you can collect new parts (including cannons) for your ship and hunt for sunken and buried treasure, for starters. There are people to rescue, mysteries to solve and puzzles galore all over the game world.
Phantom Hourglass is stored on the tiniest game cartridge in "Zelda" history, but it's one of the biggest and most rewarding "Zelda" adventures yet.

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