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Unexpected hardcore gamer in the family
It's a long weekend in the States, it's time to take it down a notch. Earlier this week we got an email from reader Herlich Aguiluz, who told us the story of how his wife woke him up Wednesday morning concerned that their seven-year-old son was awake while "it was still dark." When Aguiluz spoke to his son in the morning it turned out the kid woke up at 1AM and was playing Metroid Prime 3: Corruption all night until his mother came down to fix breakfast. Aguiluz says, "I realized that while my wife was mad at what happened, I was proud and envious at the same time. Proud because I see my gamer-self in him, and envious because it used to be me who stayed up for a new game."This blogger can remember waking up more than one time at 3AM as a kid to find his mother playing Final Fantasy II (Final Fantasy IV) in the living room -- later on the same thing happened with Final Fantasy III. It's very strange to wake up to the sound of Final Fantasy battle music, walk into the living room and be asked, "What are you doing up?" When that question was obviously a two-way street.So, let's open it up. Anybody else have those unexpected gamer moments with a family member?
Casual games bridge generation gap, report finds
Popcap Games -- makers of casual hits like Bejeweled, Peggle, and Bookworm Adventures -- have published the results of a recent survey on families and casual gaming. According to the press release, a staggering 92% of the adults surveyed believe that casual gaming gives them common ground to relate to their children and grandchildren.Other stats reinforce the correlation between gaming and education, with 47% of parents noticing that playing casual games increased their child's aptitude in various categories (Hooked on Bookworm worked for me!).Stat lovers can view the entire press release after the break.[Via GameSpot]
Lego Indiana Jones announced
Traveler's Tales' Lego Batman may be bricking our consoles this fall, but it looks like Indiana Jones will be whipping us into shape in the summer of 2008 (YOU CALL HIM DR. JONES, DOLL!!). Lego Indiana Jones will chronicle the famous archaeologist across all three movies in the franchise. No platforms are announced yet, but all we can say is if we aren't getting Simon Belmont's whip on the Wii, we'll gladly take Dr. Jones'. LucasArts also points out that they remain hard at work on their internally developed Indiana Jones video game which takes place a year after The Last Crusade. The story is being overseen by George Lucas, but there is still no word on a release date for that. [Via Press Release]
EA adds dumbed down control options for Wii sports games
The Electronic Arts sports titles on Nintendo Wii are making every effort to appeal to every Wii owner possible. In addition to throwing on minigames like they were free gifts in an informercial offer, the publisher is also introducing Family Play controls to their upcoming Madden, NBA Live and FIFA Soccer releases. According to the press release, those who opt for the Family Play controls play without the nunchuk adapter and handle the key actions (e.g., shooting, passing, snapping, and throwing) while the game handles everything else. It sounds a lot like how Wii Sports handled tennis and baseball. More fleshed-out and advanced controls are still available and can be used alongside a Family-style player. Let's hope the Family Play-assisted AI isn't too helpful and gives them an unfair advantage in multiplayer. %Gallery-4479% %Gallery-3967%
EA Sports introduces kid-friendly waggle with "Family Play"
Never let it be said that EA can't innovate! Whatever we usually think of EA Sports, their new Family Play control system is really cool. Madden '08, NBA Live '08, and FIFA Soccer '08 will all include Wiimote-and-Nunchuk-based control schemes that will allow players to "take full control of the game"-- running, passing, kicking (not so much in NBA Live) and such. But they'll also include simplified Wiimote-only control schemes that reduce the games to Wii Sports-level . The controls become fully gestural, and the AI takes over some of the gameplay tasks that were previously yours. The coolest part? You can switch back and forth on the fly, just by plugging in or unplugging the Nunchuk. Even the method of choosing controls is streamlined. We are quite impressed.
Azeroth Interrupted: Long Lost Brothers
Each week, Robin Torres contributes Azeroth Interrupted, a column about balancing real life with WoW. var digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/pc_games/Story_of_a_family_reunited_through_online_gaming'; This week, I have discovered a new way to use WoW to enhance real life: facilitating the bonding of two long lost brothers. The story I am about to tell is true, though I have changed some of the names.In the late 60s, my mother-in-law, whom we will call Viola, married a man (we'll call him Cletus) in Southern California and they had a son, Chris. They moved to Colorado, leaving behind all of Viola's family. When Chris was a toddler, one of Viola's sisters became critically ill and Viola returned to California to see her, possibly for the last time. (The sister did survive after many months of hospitalization.) Cletus took advantage of Viola's absence to get a divorce and gain custody of Chris. He separated mother and child and contact between them was lost. Viola got remarried and had another son, my husband Chuck, in the mid 70's. When Chuck was old enough to understand, he was told of his half-brother. But this was a painful subject that was not brought up often by the family.
Wii Warm Up: Family ties
Since it's Mother's Day around these parts, we thought it might be a good day to share stories about gaming with the family. We want to hear about all the weird and wacky moments when you've shared the controller with your parents, and all the things they won't let you forget about ... like that one time like ten freakin' years ago when we played some sort of virtual reality shooter and mom just happened to win. I will never hear the end of that. Ever.
Guild size matters not, judge us by our size do you?
Our guild isn't large by any means. In fact, we're a tiny guild, although that's not for want of effort. The Rogue Knights has been around on Elune since beta, and has had a constant stream of very good players throughout our time on the realm. However, a while back a group of players decided to leave the guild, and since then we haven't quite recovered. How can a few simple people make the difference? Well, these players have gone on to form the core players in some of the largest guilds on the server, so you can see how that might affect our guild. Another reason we are still small is simple: we have standards. Not to say other guilds don't have standards, it's just that we are the sort of people that expect people to spell out their words in guild chat, to be kind and courteous to other players while in Azeroth, and expect them to help others whenever possible. These may sound like basic rules, but I have personally had to boot people from our guild for acts in instances or general chat that simply aren't nice. What this means is that the players that don't do these things, the gankers and the ninjas who happen to get invited to the guild, eventually these people leave the guild, either by themselves or by force. I see many of these players around the realm in my travels, and it is interesting how often they guild hop in their time in WoW. I think it comes down to expectations of players. Some guilds will accept players based on their class, gear, etc. Our guild, being the ultimate of casual groups, tends to focus on how the player interacts with others, in the guild and outside the guild. What this all means, really, is that in the end, there is room for everyone in WoW, but not everyone in a guild. While some guilds focus on player attendance, others focus on player interaction, and still others focus on nothing at all. What a wonderful virtual world, in which everyone is accepted, and all find a home. No, we can't all be in raiding guilds, but not all of us want to be in one.
Saints Row and Lego Star Wars II go platinum
Got some money leftover from Easter that's still burning a hole in your pocket? For less than the cost of a $3.95 latte every day for a month solid, you can score yourself Saint's Row and Lego Star Wars II for the Xbox 360 ... and still have enough left over to pick up a full-priced title of your choosing. Saint's Row stretches out the GTA-style replay value with downloadable content, and Lego Star Wars II is about the most fun you can have bashing Lego bricks, so either one ain't a bad value.
Poll results: Member of a gaming family?
We asked you fine folk last week if you were a member of a gaming family and you obliged by voting, producing the results you see above. Personally, we're kind of happy with the results, as it shows most of you out there have relatives who are at least acquainted with gaming. And for those of you who like to goof off with your friends hanging out at Toshi Station, get back to the Moisture Farm! It's harvest time!
Lying and gadgetry go hand in hand
We've certainly seen our fair share of broken promises when dealing with gadget producers, but a recent UK-based survey claims that "nearly 75-percent of people say gadgets, like Blackberrys for instance, made it easier to fib." While this might not come as any surprise to you, that figure is at least somewhat worrisome, as just over half of the respondents noted that using gadgets to bend the truth made them feel "less guilty" versus pulling the shades face to face. As expected, the workplace was the most favored locale to bust out a techno-fib, with "67-percent" saying they had using technology to fake sick, announce completed work they hadn't even started, or to "cover up a big mistake." Moreover, digitized communication has seemingly made it easier to lie to our very families, as "just over 40-percent" of those surveyed admitted to fibbing to loved ones with the help of their mobile / email. Of course, most folks claimed that their primary intentions were to "spare others' feelings," but we're not so sure these tricksters didn't start lying to the surveyors. Regardless, saving face has never been easier thanks to handheld / wireless communications, but at least someone's already thinking about curbing this purportedly growing problem -- at least, that's what we've been told.[Via TechDirt]
Accenture developing virtual meal technology, brings videoconferencing to the dinner table
If you're just finishing up what was likely a delicious and fulfilling Christmas dinner with your friends and family, connecting with loved ones probably isn't a problem at the moment, but for elderly and single folks who live alone and far away from old friends and relatives, Accenture is looking to expand their dinner tables as far as the webcam can see. The "virtual meal technology" seeks to aggrandize the dining room beyond a single home, allowing folks to enjoy separate meals while conversing together in real-time. Utilizing the basic premise found in videoconferencing, the plans are to unveil an (almost) automatic system that doesn't require a great deal of know-how in order to operate, with prototypes "automatically detecting" when someone is about to eat supper, and then searching for available family members that would also be interested in scarfing down some grub while chatting it up over the system. The firm is also pushing the medical aspects of such an invention, as it reports that "elderly people who eat alone often don't eat enough or eat the wrong kinds of food," which would allow younger family members to correct those eating habits before more serious health issues develop from malnutrition. While the company hasn't released any draft equipment just yet, it's hoping to have a prototype system available "in around two years," and while it's aiming for the "$500 to $1,000 range" per household, things could get a lot cheaper if your insurance company ends up footing the bill.
Study: One third of American teens own iPods
Teen iPod ownership is apparently way up from the 1% level reported in 2003. According to a recent study, one third of American teens aged 13 through 18 own an iPod. One can only presume that the other two thirds of American teens are ticked off with insane jealousy and/or hoping for an iPod under this year's Christmas tree. These numbers come from News.com's report on the findings of the Harrison Group's 2006 Teen Trends study. The article states, quite amusingly in my opinion, that "[The teen's] love of music is second only to their love of friends and even ahead of their love of family, according to the study." iPods: better love money can't buy.
A Wii Thanksgiving test on the family: Part 2
My family gathers in northern Wisconsin each Thanksgiving; we all fly or drive across the country to reach this rural area away from TV reception and high-speed internet. We've always played games at these gatherings, and for the past three or four years, I've brought videogames. (We have a TV for DVDs and videotapes.) In previous years, I lugged a GameCube and/or PS2 across two time zones. The most popular games have been unique or competitive titles; favorites have included Bomberman and Katamari Damacy. This year, I brought a Wii, and all the extra controllers I could find -- three Remotes and one Nunchuk. Our Thanksgiving gathering is smaller than normal; we're missing a collection of cousins that regularly visit. But my parents, sister Alison, her boyfriend Zurich, and I have been playing the Wii, and this post documents our experience.
iPod shuffle 2G and Radio Remote - separated at birth?
I was rooting through a friend's treasure trove of iPod accessories yesterday when he whipped out his Radio Remote for the iPod. He then pointed out the striking similarity it has to the new iPod shuffle 2G he just picked up - and behold! They clearly must be related; possibly separated at birth - long lost siblings, happy to be reunited after many long quarters of product updates. Look! I think the shuffle is smiling!"Gee, you've really let yourself go," said the Remote. "But who cares! C'mere, gimme a hug big guy!"Ahhh... ain't a silly obsession with Apple products love grand?
Lego Star Wars uses the force, sells 1.1 million copies
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy has sold over 1.1 million units in just over a week. That's a lot of LEGO blocks. Someone please keep this information away from George Lucas, if at all possible. Or else we could be seeing LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, Enhanced With New CGI Midichlorian Edition. Still, possible future linings of Lucas' wallet aside, kudos to him and LucasArts for continuing to put out new editions of this game, which really have an irreverent take on the Star Wars universe. The back of the box alone features Darth Vader wearing Princess Leia's bra from her slave girl outfit. That's hot.
UK sales charts, September 9-16: Lego leads the board
Despite entering the charts at number three last week, Lego Star Wars II has proved a popular favourite with the British public, rising to snatch the top spot from Dead Rising this week. The rest of the chart follows in similar vein, demonstrating only a slight shuffle from last week's positions. Several Xbox 360 titles are selling well, but the multiformat nature of Lego Star Wars may have tipped it to the top -- that, and it's Lego, man. 1. Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy 2. Dead Rising 3. Saints Row 4. Cars 5. Test Drive Unlimited 6. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training 7. New Super Mario Bros. 8. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories 9. Lego Star Wars 10. The Sims 2
Metareview - LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
Traveller's Tales was on to something when they decided to take the popular LEGO brand of Star Wars toys and make a video game based on our favorite bricks. The resulting LEGO Star Wars was a novel, family-oriented romp through the galaxy far, far away. LucasArts was more Force sensitive this time around and assumed publishing duties from Eidos for the sequel, LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. Overall marks are only slightly higher than the first game, but critics agree the stronger source material makes The Original Trilogy worth its weight in galactic credits. GameSpy (90/100) thinks the sequel's enhanced "born to build" features will appeal to the kid in all of us: "There are a lot more LEGO elements scattered throughout each stage than there was in the first game. By blowing up LEGO objects, you'll often be able to rebuild the scattered bricks into new items that can be used to reach otherwise hidden areas. It really gives you the feeling that you're playing within a living LEGO world." 1UP (80/100) knows the only substitute for a good blaster is a good ship: "While the vehicular stages vary in terms of quality, the mere fact that so many exist really adds to the scope of the game. Lego Star Wars II offers a surprising amount of playtime, and is much larger and longer than the original game (which was one of its biggest criticisms)." GameSpot (77/100) discovered that fancy next-gen visuals not make one great: "The current-gen console versions all look slightly better than the original Lego Star Wars, while the PC version looks a bit better than those, since it can run at much higher resolutions. The Xbox 360 version has the most graphical flair, with better reflections, better explosions, and a cool lens-focus effect. It's definitely the best-looking version, but it's also got a very minor frame rate problem that crops up when there are a lot of particle effects." See also: Batman to LEGO brick consoles everywhere
"Does Your Mom Play WoW?"
My mom certainly doesn't play any videogames at all, but apparently Malevivs from Eonar showed the game to his mother and got her hooked on it. And apparently other players have had the same experience. Wives, in-laws, kids-- seems like anyone who sees someone playing this game has to pick it up, try it themselves, and be amazed. WoW isn't just addictive-- apparently it's contagious, too.Or maybe not. Personally, I haven't had any luck at all recruiting anyone to play the game with me. I haven't lived at home for a while, so the closest thing I have to an onlooker is my roommate, and he hasn't shown the slightest interest in it. Even a good friend of mine who really loves videogames (we play Mario Kart DS over the net all the time) hasn't given in, especially after hearing about my many nights spent slaving away to hit 60 more than once..So is it me, or my family and friends? Have you recruited a family or friend to play just by showing them the game? Then again, I'm not sure I'd want my mom to play at all-- not just because it would be really embarassing to be ganked by her, but c'mon, man-- she's my mom! She doesn't own n00bs, she bakes them cookies!
Fox "investigates" PSP porn [update 1]
Are you a parent concerned that your child may have easy access to communist and pornographic materials? If so, you may be shocked, devastated and appalled to learn that your innocent children "are using a gaming device to access porn out of thin air." The PSP, which is a short for PlayStation "pornable", is a portable game console that has the capability of "magically displaying images of naked women." Yeah, that's right. Fox 9, a local news affiliate of Fox News, the world standard for balanced and fair reporting, has revealed that the PSP is entirely capable of displaying images and therefore porn. As a result, Sony and the PSP are entirely to blame if your kid sticks pictures of naked ladies onto the device. Bleurgh.This article has it all: a sensational headline, wildly outlandish claims and a healthy dose of out-of-context quotes from family institutes. What's next? The Nintendo DS steals your precious bodily fluids? Xbox 360 responsible for failure to find WMDs? Playing too much Halo lowers exam results? Wait... that last one's true.[Via Game|Life] [Update: Fox 9 is a local news affiliate of Fox News, not a purely investigative news channel.]
