ssues & ideas EDITOR GARIN FAHLMAN THE VOICE, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013 7 New consoles arrive this month Students will have to balance playing with the new consoles and focusing on schoolwork rd wi A F PS4 first to hit The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are the first consoles out by Sony and Microsoft in seven years By KENDRA WONG Ine launch of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One marks the first time new consoles have been re- leased by Sony and Microsoft since the PS3 and Xbox 360. Many Lan- gara students are leaning toward pur- chasing the PlayStation. The PS4 was released on Friday, Nov. 15, while the Xbox One hits storesNov. 22. Altman Kwong, a first-year market- ing student at Langara, said he prefers the PS4 because it offers a larger selec- tion of games. “More of the titles that I’m interest- ed in are with PS4,” said Kwong. “I used to have an Xbox, but I sold it because I was disappointed with the games.” First-year biology student Jerry Wang is also going with the new Play- Station because he has owned previous models and because of the games he hopes will appear on the console “Tt’s Asian made, so you can play a lot of Asian games,” said Wang. Students think the PS4 will sell bet- ter than the Xbox One. Elizabeth Uy, assistant manager of a a 4 2. Langara instructor Greg Holditch hosts a forum on the game BioShock on Nov. 27 and is developing a course. EB Games at Oakridge Centre, predict- ed Sony will have better sales overall. She said the system a student buys should be based on the type of gamer they are. “Traditionally, PlayStation will pro- duce more role playing games and ad- venture games, whereas the Xbox is a lot more into the first-person shooter games and open-world games,” she said. But Pedram MHabibzadeh, a Co- quitlam resident, said the new Xbox has more to offer in terms of the online gaming experience. “Xbox Live has one of the highest on- line match making services there is, as far as getting connected with other players and players at the same skill level as you, they’re quality sportsman- like players ... which I think is really cool, it’s not something that [Microsoft] had to do,” said Habibzadeh. Uy said the PlayStation’s new chip system is intended to allow more inde- pendent developers to create a wider selection of games, while the Xbox is focusing on being an all-in-one console that allows users to multi-task effi- ciently and can act as an entertain- ment centre. Despite the hype surrounding the re- lease of both consoles, many students said they don’t have the time to wait in line to purchase the new consoles. The PS4 retails for $399 and the Xbox One for $499. 4 KENDRA WONG photo Justin Chan, a Coquitlam resident, bought the PlayStation 4 from Best Buy when it was first released on Friday, Nov. 15. Games good for the brain jap NICK EAGLAND photo Researchers say games and education go together By NICK EAGLAND ith the releases of the Xbox We: and PlayStation 4 coincid- ing with term paper due dates and final exam cram sessions, do the new systems pose a threat to students’ educations? Local video game re- searchers don’t think so. Langara English instructor Greg Holditch, an avid gamer, believes video games belong in school. He is develop- ing a course that focuses on video graphic novels, comic books, televi- sion, movies, there’s no reason why we can’t talk about video games,” said Holditch. “T think a lot of people dismiss games as time-wasters, but a game like Bio- Shock is one that encourages the play- er to think critically about the game world in which they’re in, to think about the narrative that’s being creat- ed.” Dr. Kimberly Voll of the Centre for Digital Media in Vancouver, holds a PhD in computer science and an hon- ours degree in cognitive science. She said games are good at manag- ing cognitive loads so players can han- an accessible pace. “We need to appreciate and recog- nize that compelling, interactive expe- riences are the best way for us to learn,” said Voll. “Our brains are hard- wired to want that.” Kurtis Smejkal, editor-in-chief of Vancouver gaming news website The Motherboard, said he games for both mental stimulation and relaxation. “T think that games as a whole are mental exercises,” Smejkal said via Skype. “Players can still use forward, creative thinking while playing through an engaging narrative.” All three researchers said they would purchase the PlayStation 4 over games and narrative. “In academia, if we can talk about dle information appropriately and at the Xbox One. Addicting not the same as compelling Director at Vancouver’s Centre for Digital Media says that games have same merits as sports By TAMMY ENGLISH million PlayStation 4 consoles in North America in its first day of sales, and proved without a doubt that gaming is mainstream. But many non- gamers are concerned that those who play hours of video games are addict- ed. Richard Smith, director of the mas- ter’s of digital media program at the L" week, Sony sold more than a Centre for Digital Media in Vancouver says that when talking about games, it’s important to distinguish between compelling and truly addictive. “Using a term like addiction should not be done lightly as it diminishes real addictions and possibly exaggerates what is merely compelling,” Smith said by email. “Often, the time spent in an online pursuit is no more or less than someone who is very committed to ski- ing or golf or swimming. “We tend to gloss over the hours someone might spend perfecting their piano skills because we associate [it] with an approved and familiar activi- ty.” Smith said that if an activity is seen as social, such as golf, or brings the participant potential for prizes, fans or professional success, the time devoted to the activity is seen as justified. “On- line games are - so far - not recognized in that way, although this is changing.” Similarly, while the benefits of sports or reading, such as fitness and learn- ing, are obvious, the advantages of gaming - which Smith said could in- clude well-honed decision-making, team management and _ leadership skills - are not widely recognized. “As a result we tend to lump [games] in with harmful activities like drug-tak- ing.” Tim Charters, director of the Langa- ra counselling department, said two key strategies for time management are to prioritize assignments - finish- ing those that are due earliest or worth the most first - and to schedule time to do those assignments as you would schedule classes. And if you find your- self gaming as procrastination, turn it around and make gaming a reward for a job well-done. New pastimes often go through growing pains, according to Smith. “Al- though it is long forgotten, novel read- ing was widely decried in the 1700s as a crazy pastime that was going to ruin youth and women. Perhaps, someday, we will have Xbox moms and dads proudly driving their kids to practices in the minivan.” RICHARD SMITH digital media researcher 66 Novel reading was wide- ly decried in the 1700s as a crazy pastime