I am sure that you heard of the PSP God of War bundle when the news about it first came out. I think that was about several months ago, wasn’t it? I didn’t receive an e-mail from Gamestop till about a couple of weeks ago, though. I have been waiting for this to be released but now, I do not have the $199 to get it so I thought I would wait.

Yesterday, though, we were out at the mall just looking around and, lo and behold, we saw a solitary box of the bundle! You have to understand, in my neck of the woods, special edition packages are not easy to come by. Of course, you can always order them on the Internet but somehow, the feeling is different when you actually see the product on the shelves.

So anyway, we took a look at it. It is really a beauty! The color is blood red and Kratos’s face printed on the back definitely adds points. The PSP is a slim edition already and it was very very light – especially compared to the original PSP, which is what I have.

More than that, the extras that come with the package would really make the purchase worth it. It comes with the Chains of Olympus game, a UMD movie (Superbad, which by the way is a very funny movie), a memory stick (4G, I think) and some other stuff. I was not able to look through everything because we decided against buying it yesterday due to the fact that they didn’t have a zero percent option for my credit card and I didn’t really want to make the purchase.

Anyway, you should check it out for yourself.

We took a trip down memory lane in the last post and featured a couple of old gaming consoles that were part of our childhood. How about a couple more?

Console: Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom) - Japan
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Discontinued: 1995
After a disastrous release including a product recall, the Famicom bounced back and became the best-selling console in Japan. This is mostly due to the success of console-specific games like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda (as opposed to the multi-platform Pac-Man of times past) and to a new business model of software licensing agreements with third-party developers. Even greater success would be found in America’s launch of the system.

I remember this console very well. The main game we played back then was Super Mario Bros and I bet you remember those times very well also.

Console: Game Boy
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Discontinued in: 1999
You’re looking at one of the most successful, popular and long-lived gaming machines of all time. In addition to the backwards-compatible Game Boy Color, it’s sold nearly 120 million units since its 1989 release, with several colors and limited-edition variants spicing thing up in between. Yes, it had fugly, blurry green graphics that looked kinda crappy even then, but its battery life and software support were so impressive you couldn’t not own one. This little machine also supported multiplayer via link cable, spawned the very first Pokemon game in 1996 and was initially bundled with Tetris - perhaps the smartest move Nintendo has ever made.

Aha, this one was very popular when I was in my teens. Never had one but enough of my friends did that I had a lot of playing hours spent on it.

Gaming consoles have really come a long way since video games were first invented, don’t you think? I am relatively young but I still remember playing with some of the ancient consoles that kids of today would not recognize. That is why I was very much amused when I read the series of articles over at Games Radar which detailed the consoles of the different decades, starting from the 70s. Of particular interest to me were the consoles of the 80s. (Yeah, I think I just gave away my age range. Oh, well.)

This I remember oh so well:

Console: Game & Watch - Japan
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Discontinued: 1991
These LCD electronic games came in different models - all of which have resembled an iteration of the Game Boy or DS at one point. The Game & Watch pioneered left-handed directional control with the d-pad, seen on every console and handheld in the modern age.

I never had my own Game & Watch but my schoolmates who were fortunate enough to have on were of a sharing nature so we all got our turn.

And how about this?

Console: Atari 5200 Super System
Manufacturer: Atari
Discontinued: 1984
Created as a powerful successor to the 2600, the 5200 competed with the Intellivision and ColecoVision once it hit the market. Unfortunately, Atari spent more attention on the oversaturated (and far more popular) 2600 rather than their new console. Also, Atari underestimated the value of backwards compatibility - at least until they released an adapter the following year. Generally considered a failure, the newer controller also featured a pause button which has since been seen everywhere in the world of gaming.

Ahh, this one we were fortunate enough to have. Of course, with so many kids in the (extended) family, we had a heck of a time trying to get our gaming urges satisfied.

Photo courtesy of www.brianapps.net

I have to say this – Robert Ludlum’s Bourne Trilogy is way up there on the list of my favorite reads. (Yeah, I like reading.) When they came out with the movie, I was quite skeptical. You know how those movies based on books usually end up butchering the original work. I was not far from wrong but then they didn’t turn out too bad either. I still prefer the books.

Then came the video game based on the movies. Apprehension made itself felt once again. We all know how disappointing a lot of video games based on movies are. I don’t even want to get started on this. Still, I downloaded the demo from the PlayStation Store.

Lo and behold, was I in for a surprise! The game was actually fun and challenging – at least the demo. It took me several tries before I was able to complete the first mission. The game play is seen from a third person perspective and the graphics are impressive. What I particularly like about the game are the moves that you can do as Jason Bourne.

The downside? Well, it is not really a downside but I do not think that this game is for kids at all. My little cousins – aged 8 and 12 – tried playing the demo but got tired real quickly because they found it too difficult. It is just perfect for older teens and adults, though.

Photo courtesy of nickstone333

Ever since the talk about Sony releasing PSN cards came out, PS3 fanboys have been waiting for the time that they could actually get their hands on one. Well, it seems that the time has arrived! According to Kotaku, someone has spotted price stickers for the PSN cards in a local US store:

Reader Josh was doing a spot of shopping in his local Meijer the other day and came across a couple of price stickers - for the long-awaited PlayStation Network pre-paid card - sitting in the aisle of the gaming section. No cards, just the stickers. The one pictured is for a $20 card, while Josh says there was also a sticker up for a $50 card as well. Sony are still quiet on a precise release date for these, but with this information heading out to retailers they hopefully won’t be too far away.

When I first read other blogs and news reports on the PSN card, I thought that someone had actually gotten his hands on one. Apparently, news becomes a bit different unless you go back to the original source. Anyhow, price stickers must mean that the product will be on the shelves pretty soon, right?

For those who are unsure as to what the implications of the PSN card are, it is basically a cash card which you can use to purchase downloads from the PlayStation store. This is perfect for those who do not have credit cards – yes, not everyone has one – and for those who are in other countries and cannot use their credit cards for the store.

Aha! Now wouldn’t kids love to read that headline! I know that we have heard about the benefits that video games can bring to our kids but of course, many parents and even educators have had their own share of doubts. This is even truer when it comes to video games that have, let us say, controversial content. But let’s not focus solely on the controversial. That does not always result in productive discussion.

Anyhow, a group of researchers from the University of Central Florida conducted a study on educational video games and their effects, specifically, on the math scores of the subjects. Take note that the video games used in the study are labeled educational.

So what did they find out? Students who played the game (DimensionM – pity I have not even heard of this game) over a period of 18 weeks showed considerable improvement in their math scores as compared to those students who did not play the game. The report from the Orlando Business Journal notes:

The results support previous studies which have found that interactive games are more effective on cognitive gains than traditional classroom instruction alone, says Ntiedo Etuk, CEO and co-founder of Tabula Digita, an educational video game company whose DimensionM game series was used in the study.

Again, I think it does not take a rocket scientist to figure this out BUT having solid scientific proof is always a good thing, isn’t it?

Photo courtesy of Kimblahg

I can’t wait to get my hands on this game. After having finished GTA IV several times over, I need a new game to keep my gaming self busy. Hopefully, I can have my copy of MSG4 in a week’s time. Until then, I cannot say anything about it out of personal experience BUT there are a lot of things being said about the latest in this franchise. I particularly liked the article written by Joe Juba of the Game Informer Magazine. He writes:

After years of playing “Metal Gear” games, I thought I knew the drill: Infiltrate the base, rescue someone, destroy “Metal Gear” and fight the last boss. This time-tested approach has won the hearts of gamers and earned “Metal Gear Solid” a spot on the industry’s short list of premier franchises.

But for a game as ambitious and groundbreaking as the new “Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots,” sticking to the formula simply isn’t good enough.

As the crowning achievement of the series’ 20-year history, Hideo Kojima’s final “Metal Gear Solid” title might not be what you expect, but it is everything you could hope for in a video game.

Is that good or bad? If you continue reading his article, you’d find that is GOOD:

This series has always showcased amazing depth, but “MGS4″ accommodates a breed of player choices unlike anything I have ever seen, providing you with the tools to overcome obstacles in any way you choose. Many titles claim to have this feature, but its implementation in “MGS4″ is truly remarkable. There is no longer just “stealth” or “not stealth” — you devise your own solutions.

Now that’s what I am talking about. I can just imagine wracking my brains while playing this game. Anyone out there who has played MSG4? Your thoughts?

Are you into movies as well as video games? If so, then this piece of news would certainly make you happy. Everyone knows the name Atari – people my age would remember growing up trying to gain control of the joystick over other siblings. Atari is a legend, there is no doubt about that.

People of the younger generation would definitely know who Leonardo DiCaprio is. The Beach, The Aviator, and Catch Me If You Can are only some of the more popular movies that he has made. He has definitely made his mark in the movie industry and tons of screaming women would testify to that.

So where does the commonality lie? A movie dubbed Atari will be made – I don’t know when – and DiCaprio is slated to take on the role of the founder of Atari. Though not many might know much about him, Nolan Bushnell has made an impact on many lives. He started out as an engineering student (don’t they all?) and a video game lover – perfect combination, I should say. He used to repair broken down pinball machines and then went on to start his own company, which we all know as Atari. From the engineering student that he was, he went a long way. His company is now a household name all over the world and he sold his company to Warner Communications for a whopping $28 million!

I do not know much about the life of Bushnell but if this movie project pushes through, that would surely change.

I thought I’ve heard every possible use there is for video games – until I read about Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s recent speech. Based on what I have read online, the former Supreme Court Justice thinks that video games can get the youth interested in politics – with the ultimate aim of initiating change.

MTV’s Multiplayer blog says:

While O’Connor will probably never play “Halo,” she explained that she came into the digital world after noticing how increasingly difficult it is to receive impartial judgments from serving judges who face mounting political pressure and partisan attacks. She feels that the only way to combat this is with video games about civics education. Yes, that’s right: video games.

O’Connor is spearheading a joint venture with Georgetown Law School and Arizona State University called “Our Courts,” an online civics education project aimed at 7th, 8th and 9th grade students. The free website will allow young people to step into the shoes of a judge, legislator or executive and debate and analyze governmental problems and issues.

The “Our Courts” website is up now, but O’Connor said she hopes that by September it will have the curriculum for classroom use. Gee’s interactive contributions are slated for September 2009.

What can I say? This sounds like a good thing. What do you think? Is this indeed a good move or is it another gimmick that does not really mean anything?

I came across a short article by Christopher Dawson over at ZDNet posing the question “Do game consoles have a place in primary education?” His rationale is as follows:

However, the new game, Cosmic Family, is a slick game filled with puzzles and animation. While the puzzles are engaging, the Wii itself, with it’s motion-sensitive Wiimotes, takes a remarkable amount of coordination and sensitivity to operate.

As I watch the kindergarten teacher work to develop just this sort of skill, I have to wonder if there might not be a place for systems like the Wii (with a limited selection of appropriate software, of course) in early elementary education, just as there is for desktop or laptop computers.

It seems to me that the Wii could be a great tool for developmental work, as well as occupational or physical therapy for particular students with identified needs in these areas. The parent in me feels a knee-jerk sense of horror at the thought of Nintendos in classrooms or gymnasiums. However, the technologist in me sees some new tools that just might take us beyond technology for the sake of technology.

I understand how a parent can feel that sense of “horror” at the thought of video games in school. But then again, it really depends on your perspective. If you see video games as a tool to enhance your children’s educational experience, it would probably be a sense of elation and not horror that you would feel.

I think the bottom line here is control and discipline. Just like any other school subject, the idea of using video games for educational purposes should be monitored and guided strictly. I think that it is a perfectly good idea to expose young children to technology - learning and fun together, don’t you think so?