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

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

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 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?

I went on a vacation a couple of weeks ago and though I was very excited about the prospect of being at the beach for a week, I was having mixed feelings at the same time. This was due to the fact that I had just received my copy of GTA IV a couple of days before we were set to leave for the beach. I did have a chance to play – believe me, I took every chance I could get – but that was not enough to whet my appetite. I was mulling over the possibilities and came up with three:

-Postpone the trip.
-Take my PS3 with me.
-Forget about gaming for a while.

The second option was very very tempting. Until I realized that I had to take a ferry boat to the island and I didn’t really want to risk damaging the console. So option 3 it had to be.

It was not that bad, really. During the first day, I would think about gaming every now and then and wish fervently that I was at home in front of the TV. Those moments became rarer and rarer until they were totally gone by the 3rd day. However, when the 5th day came around, I was itching to play so badly I just couldn’t wait for the ferry boat to arrive.

So I guess that’s my figure – 5 days without gaming. I survived – and no scars to show for it. How about you, how long can you go without gaming?

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.

…and I’ll tell you who you are. Obviously, this is my own version of the cliché “tell me who your friends are and I’ll you who you are.” Though I believe that this cliché can be true to some extent, I am not quite sure that it applies to video games.

I am actually not the first person to think along these lines. In fact, I got the idea from Crispin Boyer who wrote an entry in his blog entitled “Do we play what we are?” He, in turn, got his inspiration from a series of essays “Are we what we play?”

It seems that more and more gamers are digging deeper into the psychology of gaming – and why not? Gaming holds more meaning than merely mashing buttons or clicking the mouse.

So, do video games reflect one’s personality? Perhaps. Our choices, when it comes to video gaming, have something to do with our interests in real life. The person who loves basketball spends time playing NBA Live. The person who loves football plays Madden. Does this mean, however, that the person who is crazy about GTA is a killer and a violent person?

I suppose it is not as clear cut as that. I have a friend who has never tried skateboarding. Yet he is addicted to Skate. Then there is another friend who has never laid a hand on any other person and is opposed to violence in principle – yet he can’t get enough of God of War.

So what’s the deal? What do you think?

Another study gives much needed support to video games. According to Carmen Russoniello, a professor at East Carolina University, video games are potentially beneficial when it comes to relieving stress and tension. Here is more information from IT World Canada:

Carmen Russoniello, a professor at East Carolina University, recently finished a six-month study of people playing Bejeweled 2, Peggle and Bookworm adventures. The study concluded the games could have “potential therapeutic applications,” according to a press release issued by PopCap games, which by sheer coincidence happens to be the developer of these three games.

The school’s department of recreational and leisure studies observed the behaviour of video game players and measured their stress, psychological tension, anger, depression, vigour, fatigue and confusion. For example, people who played Peggle experienced a 66 per cent reduction in “psychological tension” while 43 per cent of those who played Bookworm Adventures experienced a reduction in depression. Rumour has it people who reached the fourth screen in Space Invaders also experienced confusion, though that game was not included in Russoniello’s study.

It is interesting to note, however, that only specific games were covered by the study. The GTA series, which could be the most popular game franchise ever, was not included in the study.

The East Carolina University study did not include Grand Theft Auto, a game where players can pretend to be criminals taking on rival gang members and robbing banks. The game’s developer, Rock Star North, also makes Bully and Manhunt.

Oh well, it is a start, isn’t it?