Video Games
Applying contemporary morals to long-dead thinkers
Most "great" historical thinkers would fall foul of contemporary sensibilities around race and gender ... is it naive to condemn them for being products of their time? Audio
Upbeat for Wednesday 5 August
We discover how video games are drawing the next generation to classical music; New Zealand Opera’s leading stars talk about playing the romantic leads in La Bohème and we continue celebrating winners…
Are video games introducing teenagers to gambling?
Countries around the world are cracking down on the legal status of video game "loot boxes" - randomised in-game rewards which give players advantages and are purchased with real money - but so far… Audio
Exercise and a special video game boost kids' brains
Psychologist David Moreau is working with New Zealand schools to find out if exercise combined with a computer game aimed at brain training could help improve kids' brains. Audio
Video game slammed by shooting survivors
A video game that allows people to play as a school shooter has caused outrage among parents of the Parkland shooting victims. Anti-gun violence groups say "Active shooter" crosses a line. Audio
Drake the video game
Rapper and video game developer ya boy sprightly has been getting a lot of attention recently for his RPG video game The Legend Of Drake.
Video, Audio
Bits+Bytes: is your iPhone being throttled?
Scrutiny of Apple intentionally slowing down iPhone performance heats up; more fallout from the world’s biggest hardware fault; gaming addiction now officially a mental disorder; and the Chinese… Audio
A standout voice in gaming - Nina Freeman
One of the more interesting voices in independent video gaming right now is Nina Freeman. Her games favor narratives that often chronicle everyday life and conversations. Nina's been rather prolific… Video, Audio
Video Games and Intelligence study
A new study has found that those who are good at gaming also scored the highest on traditional IQ tests. Alex Wade, from the University of York joins Simon Morton. Audio
When gaming becomes gambling
An American teenager is among the gamers calling for a mass boycott of the game publisher Electronic Arts over the pay-to-win aspects of their new game Star Wars Battlefront II. Audio
Nick D and Kode9 discovered the best video game music of the 1980s
Nick Dwyer and Kode-9 discuss the new album they have complied called Diggin' in the Carts which highlights the importance, influence and innovation of Japanese video game music. Audio
Are video games encouraging children to gamble?
The Problem Gambling Foundation and a number of psychologists concerned over what they say is an alarming new trend of video games that encourage children to gamble. They're called pay-to-loot… Audio
Professional video gaming: 'It's bigger than the NFL'
Local video gamers who are hoping to get public funding to help them compete internationally say New Zealand is getting left behind on the eSports scene.
Possibility of Olympic glory spurs video gamers
The prospect e-sports could be part of the Olympics in just seven years time has spurred video gamers to take the first steps to be formally recognised here. They've set up a federation in a bid to… Audio
NZ game studios aim for the big bucks
New Zealand video game developers have pitched an ambitious target of $1 billion revenue within the next decade.
Hamlet: The Video Game
Video games and Shakespearean text don’t often go together, but Hamlet: The Video Game stage show at the Court Theatre brings the story into today. It combines nerf guns, confetti blood and Angry… Audio
Game changer! The sand-box games transforming cities
Could online gaming help solve the problems of real cities in the future? 'Sand-box' games are starting to have a major impact on urban design by educating people about how to create sustainable… Video, Audio, Gallery
Video game changers
The first things that spring to mind when video games are mentioned are seldom positive, more likely bloody gun battles on the battlefield, or the adventures of Mario trying to rescue the Princess… Audio
Nights' culture -Video Games
Do you need a goal, or is an innovative world to explore enough? Video game reviewer Andrew Todd defends "walking simulators" Gone Home, Firewatch and The Stanley Parable. Audio
How video games are changing football
Popular video game titles like FIFA, Pro Evolution Soccer and Football Manager have sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide. Now these games have become so realistic they have started… Audio