Kevin Roberts, a Michigan educator who specializes in Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and learning issues, is now conducting support groups for teens and adults who struggle with video game addiction. Roberts, himself a recovering video game addict, leads weekly groups which emphasize staying “sober,” setting goals and developing healthy behaviors.

Roberts’ meetings combine elements of 12-step groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous, with personal growth processes that stress accountability and responsibility.

Roberts encourages group members to support each other. “If you have an intense craving to play a game,” he tells his groups, “pick up the phone and call someone.” Roberts blames previous relapses in his own recovery from addictive gaming on his reluctance to seek support.

In addition to leading support groups, Roberts facilitates family interventions. “Some video gamers spiral out of control,” Roberts said, “and many families need help to deal with the situation.” Roberts, who speaks at schools, conferences and community groups, discusses solutions and strategies in his forthcoming book, Video Game Junkie: a Recovering Addict Helps You Understand, due out late May, 2008.

Roberts was a teacher at the Roeper School for the gifted in Birmingham, Mich. and has been an ADD coach and educational consultant for ten years. He speaks five languages and has a one-man show, Confessions of a Self-Help Junkie, which will debut in November.

Link: VideoGamingAddicts.org

Originally posted on April 26, 2008 @ 10:14 am

Realtime Worlds, Inc. has regained the global distribution rights to All Points Bulletin (APB), the highly-anticipated urban-themed massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) under development in the company’s Dundee studio. The move follows Realtime Worlds’ recent $50 million second round funding and provides the company with the independence to push creative boundaries in the development of the game and to take a more active role in managing APB’s global distribution strategy.

APB is an original MMOG for the PC platform featuring an immersive urban-based community where players choose between playing the criminals or those out to catch the criminals. Players will carry out or thwart opposed crimes and build up areas of the city they control, all with unprecedented levels of character and vehicle customization.

Realtime Worlds regained the global distribution rights to APB from leading Korean online entertainment company Webzen, Inc., which originally partnered with Realtime Worlds in 2005.

Originally posted on April 19, 2008 @ 10:02 pm

CDC Games, a pioneer of the “free-to-play, pay-for-merchandise” model for online games in China, is planning to launch Life Online, a next generation, 3D massive free-to-play multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by SONOV, the development arm of Sonokong, a leading Korean toy and game entertainment company.

As part of its agreement with SONOV, CDC Games will be the exclusive distributor of Life Online in China. In development for more than four years, Life Online features 3D graphics that reflect in bright animated detail, the styles and environment of Medieval Europe, and can be operated with a combination of mouse and keyboards controls.

Life Online stands out based on its high quality, bright animation style that resembles the real world of Medieval Europe in stunning detail. In creating Life Online, the SONOV developers have leveraged features similar to those from their past hit games, as well as those of other hit games in recent years. The game provides a full 3-D Game set with an art style that allows for a rich user experience requiring minimal hardware resources. Players are rewarded for longer play sessions with better in-game items and the ability to participate in player-versus-player matches as play time grows. This design promotes longer individual player sessions to improve actual concurrent user (ACU) metrics and revenue.

The game is expected to be especially appealing to teenage and young adult male players and includes many features that appeal to young adult female players as well. Open beta testing is expected to begin in the fourth quarter and the commercial launch of Life Online is expected by the end of the year.

Originally posted on April 18, 2008 @ 7:23 am