We take a look back at 2014 and share what we’ve loved and what we’ve learned.
2014 has been a huge year in kids gaming.
Alongside the wealth of new games that have been released there’s been some fascinating research published looking at the way that gaming is shaping our little digital natives lives for better and for worse.
One of the hottest trends for 2014 was the rise of the toy-game hybrid. That is, gaming that comes along with figurines that are essential to the game. Games such as Skylanders, and the soon to be released Nintendo Amiibo figures * lead the way and successfully make the transition between the online and the offline world.
Another game that also makes the online/offline connection is Night Zookeeper**. This impressive edutainment option is suitable for kids aged around 5 years and up and is being used in primary schools across the UK in order to spark creativity and literacy skills for young kids. We love that in this game kids pen and paper drawings can form a large part of the game.
Some gaming research that blew our hair back this year included the startling revelation that kids who are into gaming could actually become better surgeons than the real-deal practicing surgeons of today.
This link between gaming skills and real-life skills is also seen in the Nissan GT Academy. The GT Academy, brainchild of Sony and Nissan, kicked off in 2008 to test whether the skills of virtual racing could actually translate to real life car racing. So far the answer has been a resounding yes, with inaugural winner Lucas Ordonez going on to a successful career as a racing car driver at events such as Le Mans.
We also covered some stunning new Australian based research that found that gaming is not only good for kids, but can also be used as a tool to promote mental health. The study found that kids who engage in moderate amounts of gaming have more positive emotions and emotional stability and are less stressed than those who don’t.
And we also recently saw how gaming, particularly the super popular Minecraft game, is being used as a teaching tool in Australian schools in order to engage kids with creative problem solving.
What games have your kids enjoyed playing in 2014?
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