Sony is coming out with a new game for the PS3 but it is quite unlike the run of the mill games that PS3 fan boys have come to expect. Dubbed Shiki-tei, this new PS3 game seems to be nothing more than having a garden on your PS3. Don’t get me wrong – I have nothing against gardening. In fact, I have tried my hand at it for more times than I can count. The problem is that plants – and anything remotely resembling a plant – do not seem to like me. If there is such a thing as a black thumb, or a brown thumb, then I have one!

The basic idea of the game is to create your own garden. You plan flowers, trees, and other shrubbery. You can also set stones and other ornaments that you would like to be present in your garden. Then you watch it grow. You can even set your own music – anything that you have in your PS3 – to play as you watch your creation bloom. That should make for a relaxing time, I think.

Anyway, this new video game is set for release only in Japan. The chances are that the rest of the world is not going to get their hands on this PS3 game but then again, since when has that stopped anyone from getting anything they wanted? I suppose the question is whether or not Shiki-tei will be fun enough to entice the countless PS3 fan boys all around the world.

Who said that video games were for kids only? You only have to look at the statistics and you will see that a lot of gamers are in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. Yet did you know that now, even senior citizens are getting into gaming?

Indeed, the older generation has discovered this activity that so many of the younger generation hold dear. In fact, even doctors are looking into the possibility of the existence of the health benefits of video games on senior citizens. An article on Newsday features this topic. It seems that casual games and Wii games are the most popular with the senior citizens. They have discovered a way to pass time and exercise both the body and the mind as well.

I have no doubt about the benefits that these games provide to senior citizens. After all, I am a firm believer in the benefits of video games to other age groups – why exclude the older generation? More so, I am observing first hand this kind of experience. My parents are retired – have been so for many years – and they just stay at home most of the time. My dad goes out and does odd jobs here and there but for the most part, when they are at home, their favorite pastime is to play casual games on the computer. I know how this activity makes them feel more relaxed and less bored.

Maybe the next step is to get them a Wii so they can have actual physical exercise?

No one can deny it – social networking sites are one of the most popular things on the Internet today. Heck, even the head of my company has a Facebook account! In fact, he got one way before I got mine! Indeed, social networking sites are something else AND casual gaming companies are not slow to catch on to that fact.

We all know that casual games are not in anyway losing momentum with gamers. From age 5 (I have even heard of 3 year olds playing casual games!) to 65, casual games have become a hit and will continue to do so in the future. This kind of gaming is definitely strong in the market today. Yet with the connections that the casual gaming sector are making with the social networking sites, they are set to experience more success.

Mike Snider of USA Today reports:

By playing nice with social networks such as Facebook, expected to hit 100 million users by year’s end, the casual game category can only increase the stakes, says CGA President Jessica Tams. “The introduction of platforms which create opportunities for accessible and family play have raised the awareness of the fact that games are played by everyone, everywhere,” she says.
In the past two months, two new online gaming hubs, Cafe.com and Mytopia, have launched with features that let players connect with friends on the Web and through various social networks such as Facebook and MySpace, as well as Bebo and Hi5.

Ahh, I could name more than a few friends who would be happy to know that more casual games would be available on Facebook!

We had two boys aged 7 and 12 – I never knew how creative you had to be in order to keep little boys occupied for 2 days! Anyway, it was kind of a good thing that we have several toys – gaming consoles and computers, that is – that the boys loved.

There were moments of uncertainty for me, however. I had not finished GTA IV then (yes, I have finished it now – I finished it yesterday, to be exact!) and really wanted to play. I tried to avoid it but just couldn’t. So it was not really surprising that after watching me play for a while, the boys were clamoring to be able to play.

GTA IV for kids? I don’t think so! It is not only about the violence and sexually explicit content, really. Following the dialogue and completing the missions are quite complicated activities in themselves. But I gave in – ok, boys, each of you can play for 30 minutes and then go back to the GameBoy or the PC.

Boy, did they have fun! At first they had difficulty controlling the cars. After a while, they were able to do a decent job out of it. Of course, they didn’t really follow the storyline. All they wanted to do was to drive around, get nice cars, and shoot people.

So should kids play GTA? I think that it’s not all that bad. You just have to explain to them the difference between reality and the game. And I really didn’t even have to explain that much – they themselves stated the difference. The only thing I am slightly worried about is that they might become desensitized to violence.

We have to admit, stereotype dictates that gamers are mainly male. As with most stereotypes, however, it is not really an accurate depiction. Ask the people in Australia – it seems that the number of girls playing video games is on the rise out there. I don’t really need a formal report to believe this – I have always been a firm disbeliever of that stereotype – but for those who want hard proof, check out the article which was recently published on Digital Life.

The report says:

The average gamer in Australia is now 28 years old, up from 24 just two years ago. And despite being largely ignored by the game industry, 41% are female.

Women and older Australians are the fastest-growing audience for computer and video games and if trends continue, by 2014 the average age of Australian gamers will be the same as non-players – 42 – with an equal number of male and female players.

Trends are similar in the US, where 38% of gamers are female, spending an average 7.4 hours a week playing, according to the Entertainment Software Association.

Do you need more proof? I surely do not. This comes as no surprise, really. If you take into account casual gaming and other types of video games, you would see that many of them are targeted towards the female population. And even those games that are not really for females (from whose perspective, I don’t know) attract them. From the sports video games to GTA IV – I know quite a large number of females who love playing these games.

It’s been out for a week now and what are people saying about the latest installment in the GTA series? I seriously have not heard anything bad. Well, there is the fact that the game freezes for some PS3 units and for the Xbox but Rockstar was able to release a patch within days of the first reports. It hasn’t happened to me yet – and I am crossing my fingers that it never will, but in case it does, I am glad that the patch is available.

As for the game play – I have nothing to complain about really, at least for now. It is everything that I have been expecting. I think I am about at 20 something per cent of the game and I have been having all sorts of fun. No doubt that it is quite harder than the old GTA installments. Driving a car or a bike is not that easy – controlling that helicopter with the movements of the controller is worse – but it is all part of the challenge!

No more to say about that for now – GTA IV rocks!

Something on the lighter side – have you read Jeremy’s post on how his wife ruined GTA? It is quite hilarious, really. He writes about his wife tried her hand at it and obeyed ALL the laws! You should read it for yourself.

I knew this day would come! I have always thought that one day, hotels would feature video games as part of their offerings. It is but logical – video games are not only for children but adults as well. Actually, there are already many hotels which offer video game consoles in some of their rooms, especially those catering to families.

This concept being employed by the Westin chain of hotels is somehow new though – adding Wii consoles to their hotel fitness centers. Here is more information on it:

Looking for a fun way to work out on the road?

Hotel companies across the nation are putting more money into their fitness centers as surveys show travelers are putting a high priority on them.

The folks at Westin recently added a twist to their fitness offerings: a video game. Nintendo’s Wii system, to be specific.

Last week, the hotel brand by Starwood Hotels & Resorts installed the gaming system in its fitness centers at hotels in Bellevue, Wash., and Times Square in New York as part of a pilot program.

This month, the system will be added to Westin properties at the Galleria in Houston, Kansas City, Mo., Hilton Head Island, S.C.,

St. Louis, San Francisco, Toronto, Hollywood, Calif., and Savannah, Ga.
Other locations will be added later, pending guest feedback, a spokeswoman said.

The Wii systems will be integrated into the WestinWORKOUT program and will be preloaded with several popular games.
(Opt for boxing rather than bowling if you really want to raise your heart rate.)

The systems will also incorporate the Wii Fit program, which leads users through various exercises, including yoga and strength training, and is scheduled for release May 19.

Maybe I’ll stay at a Westin hotel the next time I hit the road…