the scoop

the scoop

teen spirit

Who plays video games? Just about everybody — if they’re ages 12-17.

According to a survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 97 percent of kids in that group (99 percent of boys, 94 percent of girls) play computer, console or portable games.

Turns out that teens who play games with some element of civic engagement also get involved in their real-life communities. Pew defined various types of “civic gaming experiences,” including helping other players, forming online guilds and making decisions about how a country should be run. The survey found that teens who played such games (like “World of Warcraft” or “Civilization”) are more interested in current events and more likely to participate in civic activities, like volunteer work or charity fundraising.

The most popular genres among teens are racing (“Mario Kart,” “Burnout Paradise”), puzzle (“Bejeweled,” “Solitaire”) and sports (“Madden NFL,” “FIFA”). “Madden” also scored as the third most popular franchise, following “Guitar Hero” and “Halo” — all games that are a lot more fun to play with your buddies.

inks book deal

Lauren Conrad can add a new position to her r sum : author.

The 22-year-old star of MTV’s nonfiction series “The Hills” will pen a young adult fiction book series for HarperCollins, the publisher announced Thursday. The three-book series will be titled “L.A. Candy” and will be loosely inspired by Conrad’s transformation from teenager to reality TV star and fashion designer.

“I’ve always loved books that I could lose myself in, ones that would transport me to another place, but had characters I could relate to,” Conrad said. “I’m so excited to have this opportunity to write books like that for other readers.”

The first book in the series will be published summer 2009.

healthy choice?

The stereotype of online gamers, particularly those dedicated to massively multiplayer games such as “World of Warcraft,” are fat, red-eyed slobs surrounded by empty energy-drink cans and snack-food bags. But New Scientist magazine reports that such gamers may actually be healthier than most people.

Researchers at the University of Southern California, the Palo Alto (Calif.) Research Center and the University of Delaware surveyed 7,000 players of the role-playing game “Everquest II.” They found the gamers had an average body-mass index of 25.2 compared with 28 for the average American. And the average online gamer also engages in vigorous exercise once or twice a week.

On the downside, “Everquest” players were more prone to depression and substance abuse. The University of Delaware’s Scott Caplan theorized that players “may be drawn to use the game to help deal with emotional distress.”

new in stores

Warner Bros. takes a more lighthearted look at the Caped Crusader in “Lego Batman” (for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation Portable). ... THQ’s “De Blob” looks like one of the freshest Wii games in a while. ... Ubisoft sends its “Brothers in Arms” heroes back to the front with “Hell’s Highway” (360, PS3, PSP) and “Double Time” (Wii). ... Nintendo brings back two of its second-tier characters in “Wario Land: Shake It!” (Wii) and “Kirby Super Star Ultra” (DS). ... Sony launches a new season of trivia challenges with “Buzz! Quiz TV” (PS3) and “Buzz! Master Quiz” (PSP).

tip of the hat

Is Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert the biggest game geek on television (other than the guys on G4TV)? Guests on “The Colbert Report” have included Will Wright and “Ultima” creator Richard Garriott, who’s taking Colbert’s DNA to the International Space Station.

Colbert has been most enthusiastic lately about MTV Games’ “Rock Band,” which makes for excellent corporate synergy since Comedy Central and MTV are both part of the Viacom empire. In July, he got the members of Rush to perform their song “Tom Sawyer” on “Rock Band” instruments. And, last week, MTV released a downloadable version of Colbert’s 1980s synth-pop classic “Charlene (I’m Right Behind You)” that you can play on “Rock Band.” It’s hilarious and it’s free.

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