Category Archives: Collection Development

Track Wii Gameplay Stats With Nintendo Channel

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This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on January 13, 2009.

If you’re a numbers geek and you have access to a Wii, the Nintendo Channel is a must have download from the Wii Shop. The Nintendo Channel is Nintendo’s preview section for upcoming DS and Wii games. It includes streaming video, DS demo downloads, and information on nearly every Wii and DS game in existence (including WiiWare and Virtual Console titles).

It’s this information section that brings the fun for statistics geeks. Every Nintendo Channel that opts in to the tracking service sends Nintendo the titles of the games they play and how long they played it for. Nintendo then compiles this information into each game’s profile and tracks how many people have played it, how many times they’ve played it and how long they’ve played it for. So it’s possible to track which games get played the most.

And that’s exactly what the MTV Multiplayer blog has been doing every month since September.

Following that link will lead you to a breakdown of the usage stats for 41 Wii games. The MTV blog used Wii Sports as the benchmark to figure out the total number of users that allow the Nintendo Channel to track their game playing (which was 1.6 million). This makes sense seeing as how every Wii owner has Wii Sports and has played it at least once.

So, based on the Nintendo Channel stats, these are the games that have been played the most (per player) on the Wii:

1. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
2. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
3. The Legend OF Zelda: Twilight Princess
4. Wii Sports
5. Rock Band
6. Mario Kart Wii
7. Madden NFL 08
8. Super Mario Galaxy
9. Animal Crossing: City Folk
10. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Be sure and check out the MTV blog post, it’s very interesting reading and a great way to find out which Wii games are the most popular when looking for titles to add to your collection.

2008 Video Game Librarian Bookmark Awards

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This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on December 30, 2008.

The votes are in and the 2008 Video Game Librarian Bookmark Awards have been handed out. The following games were chosen based on suggestions from The Video Game Librarian readers, review scores, innovation and overall impact on the video game community.

“Continue Reading” for this year’s selections. Continue reading →

Xbox 360 Essentials #1

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This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on August 25, 2008.

Choosing what games to buy for your video game collection can sometimes be a tough task. Where do you start? Ideally, it would be great to be able to buy at least one copy of every game, but realistically, that’s just not possible. So here are ten highly recommended titles that belong in every Xbox 360 collection. They may be critically acclaimed, they may be sitting atop the sales charts or they may be cult classics that have been unjustly overlooked. But all of them are essentials.

The Xbox 360 is by far the console of choice when it comes to gamers in their twenties. And to satisfy this niche, developers have responded by putting the most realistic and action-packed titles on the Xbox 360 that they can. It also so happens that many of these titles happen to be rated M For Mature. So if you’re ready to take the plunge into the M-rating, here are ten essential M-rated titles for the Xbox 360.

Here are today’s additions to the Xbox 360 Core Collection: Continue reading →

Chicago Tribune Asks “Should Libraries Stock Video Games?”

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This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on July 28, 2008.

Last week, the Chicago Tribune published a story (“Quiet in the library? Shhh!”) that asked the question, “Should libraries stock video games – or ban them?” The author of the article was shocked… SHOCKED… that libraries would dare do such a thing:

The library, we thought, was a place for study and contemplation, not a hangout for gamers. Yes, we know modern libraries often have more DVDs than Blockbuster, more computers than the local community college and better coffee than Starbucks.

They would go to compare stocking games for checkout to building a miniature golf course in the middle of the stacks. Thankfully, the rest of the article was more levelheaded, and the author pointed out that the American Library Association whole-heartedly supports gaming in the library. The relationship between teens and games was also compared to how senior citizens favor large print books for an example of “special populations” in collection development.

Sadly, the author also seems to be under the impression that video games are only for kids and teens. This impression was hopefully changed thanks to a slew of user comments on the original article and two letters to the editor (“Community Center” and “Video Games Are Vital Part of Any Educational Environment“) that pointed out how well video games fit in a library and how video games are no longer just for kids or teens (as if they ever were).

Gaming in the Library: 100 Tips and Resources @ OEDB

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This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on July 23, 2008.

Jessica Merritt has recently published an article at the Online Education Database entitled “Bringing Gaming (and Gamers) to Your Library: 100 Tips and Resources.” The list of tips is a fantastic resource for any librarian looking to add games or gaming programs to their library (and not just because links to The Video Game Librarian are paired with five of the tips).

Here’s a small taste of the tips and resources available, and be sure to read the whole article, I highly recommend it.

When libraries offer gaming programs, there’s often a very favorable response, but how do you go about getting started? You’ll need to know which games are the best, how to attract gamers, and so much more. There are many tips, resources, and tools that will help you figure out everything you need to know, and we’ve profiled them here.

16. Don’t forget adults: Library games and gaming events are often directed at teens, but keep in mind that many adults love to game, too.

29. Let your staff play: Break down resistance to gaming by getting your staff involved and having fun with gaming.

31. Be prepared for opposition: Not everyone understands the appeal of gaming, particularly video games, in the library, so you will find that you’ll need to defend your actions with academic discussions and statistics.

Resources: Everything There is to Know About Grand Theft Auto IV

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This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on April 30, 2008.

Is all the Grand Theft Auto IV information that’s swirling around the Internet a little overwhelming? Probably so, but if you’re planning to add the game to your collection, it helps to be prepared!

Kotaku has put together a “Grand Theft Auto IV Information Dump” that includes helpful tips about practically everything you might want to know about the game including reviews, comparisons between the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, reports of the game freezing and crashing, and an FAQ titled “Everything You Wanted To Know About GTA IV (So Stop Asking!).”

And on the other side of the coin, What They Play has created the “Grand Theft Auto IV Parent Resource Center” detailing why kids want to play the Mature-rated hit, how they plan to do that without their parents finding out, and “11 Things Parents Should Know About Grand Theft Auto IV.”

April 2008 Issue of Library Technology Reports Does Gaming

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This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on April 21, 2008.

Library Technology Reports, a monthly magazine from ALA TechSource, has put out their April 2008 issue and the entire thing shines a spotlight on gaming in libraries.

The issue is titled “Gaming & Libraries Update: Broadening the Intersections,” and it was put together by Jenny Levine as a followup to a previous issue of Library Technology Reports she wrote about gaming in 2006.

“Gaming & Libraries Update: Broadening the Intersections” focuses on three main topics:

  • Expanding the idea of “gaming” to include “big games” (scavenger hunts and other real world games) and board games.
  • Expanding game programs to include those who don’t normally play games.
  • Expanding gaming services to include things like fantasy sports leagues.

If you’re new to the whole “games in libraries” thing, or if you’ve been doing it for awhile and are looking for new things to try, this issue of Library Technology Reports is a must read.

Wii Essentials

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This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on April 10, 2008.

Choosing what games to buy for your video game collection can sometimes be a tough task. Where do you start? Ideally, it would be great to be able to buy at least one copy of every game, but realistically, that’s just not possible. So here are ten highly recommended titles that belong in every Wii collection. They may be critically acclaimed, they may be sitting atop the sales charts or they may be cult classics that have been unjustly overlooked. But all of them are essentials.

The first thing you’ll notice about this list is that eight of the ten titles have been published by Nintendo. It may be that other developers don’t understand the Wii like Nintendo does just yet, but as of today, if you want a quality Wii game, you want one made by Nintendo. Continue reading →