Worry-Free Video Games For Children

On the last post, I talked about how video games can lead people to attend social gaming events. One thing that I did notice about these events is that sometimes they are geared toward adults. Since this is an issue for young people, I have decided to make a post that shows three games that children can play that are both child friendly and encourage social interactivity. Also, these games are rated E for Everyone or Everyone 10 and up on the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB, 2012). To learn more about the ESRB rating system, go to www.esrb.org.

The Pokemon Series

The Pokemon series has been around since 1996 and is one of the most popular games among young people today.  In the video games, you are usually a pokemon trainer that captures monsters that you can use to trade and battle against other pokemon trainers. These games usually feature the following:

• Ability to chose a male or female character to go on your adventure
• Capture hundreds of unique creatures
• a complex rock,paper,scissors battle system that encourages strategy
• trade and battle friends around the world 

The Skylanders Series

The Skylanders series began in 2011 and has become a phenomenon. Children love this series because they collect physical toys that can then be used inside the video game. This game series has a wide variety of characters that should excite any child.

Angry Bird Series

The Angry Bird series is the one of the most popular video games of all time. In fact, the game has been downloaded over 1 billion times (Brian, 2012). This game is popular among children and adults because of its addictive gameplay and comical characters. Also, there are many different versions of the game, including the recently released Angry Birds Star Wars.

These 3 games are the ones that my students at my elementary school play the most.  Also, parents love that these games because they do not have to worry about their children being exposed to any inappropriate material. Please leave a comment about what games you think children should play and check out my next blog post.

References

Brian, M. (2012, May 9). Rovio's Angry Birds titles hit 1 billion cumulative downloads. Retrieved from http://thenextweb.com/mobile/2012/05/09/rovios-angry-birds-titles-hit-1-billion-cumulative-downloads/

ESRB. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.esrb.org/index-js.jsp

Myth: Video Games Lead to Social Isolation Part 3

On the previous blog post, I wrote how active video games have decreased the stigma that video games cause social isolation.  Now, I would like to talk about how gaming events have also proved that games can bring people together.


Video Game Events

While playing games in your own home might be comfortable, sometimes it is good to get out and play games with others. The only way to play games with others in a public place used to be that you had to go to the local arcade. Now, we are able to meet up with gamers at many different types of public events.  These events can vary from size to a small gathering of gamers getting together to play Starcraft II or to a convention where gamers and video game developers from around the world gather to celebrate everything about video games.  

Recently, I had the chance to go to two gaming events here in the Dallas, Texas and I would like to share my experiences with you all.


Gearbox Software 2nd Annual Community Day
  

 

On Saturday, September 15, 2012, Gearbox Software held two separate events.  The first event was the Gearbox Community Day 2012 celebration which was a real treat to attend.  I have been a fan of Gearbox Software's video games for years but I had never met anyone from the company or attended any of their past events. This event had a wide variety of things to do which included the following:

• Meet with hundreds of Gearbox fans and celebrities from around the world
• Play old and upcoming games from Gearbox's extensive library
• Meet and play games with Gearbox staff
• Get exclusive behind-the-scenes access to information not released to the public
• Open discussion panels with the Gearbox staff
• Access to exclusive merchandise that was both sold and given away for free
• And much more! 

I enjoyed the event very much because it gave me a chance to interact with the fans and the developers. I had discussions with people about what they loved about certain games and got to see that the developers really appreciated their fans.

Borderlands 2 Launch Party 

The second event of the day was the Borderlands 2 launch Party.  This event had less people than before because there was a strict 21 and up age requirement to attend (due to alcohol being served).  However, this event had a more relaxed atmosphere and seemed to focus on celebrating the game more than showcasing it.  While you could still play Borderlands 2, the focus was more on socializing with people and listening to music.. The musical performances were by The Flametrick Subs, The Heavy, and DJ Jazzy Jeff.  Overall, the performances were fantastic and gave the attendees a chance to let loose.

These two events were fun and showed me that gamers love to come together. There are many different events like these that take place throughout the world if you look online. Here is a list of ways to find events like these that you can attend in your area:

• Follow your favorite companies on Twitter or Facebook to see if they have events planned in your area.
• Go to the game developer's website and join the community to find out info.
• Find or create a club at meetup.com to have a gaming event in your area.   

If you have attended a gaming event or would like to know more about gaming events please leave a comment.

Myth: Video Games Lead to Social Isolation Part 2

On my last post, I wrote how the Internet has helped dispel the belief that video games lead to social isolation. Next, I would like to talk about the growing increase in physically active video games and games that are designed to be played with friends face to face.


Active Games

Some of my greatest video game memories have been when I played party games with friends and family.  I would often play the Nintendo Wii with family or Guitar Hero with my girlfriend and it seems that others do the same as I do. According to The Entertainment Software Association, 62% of gamers play games with others ("Entertainment Software Association," 2011). It is also important to note that the rise in physically active games such as Kinect Adventures!, Wii fit, and Just Dance 3 have grown in popularity. In fact, Kinect Adventures! and Just Dance 3 were amongst the top 5 selling games in the globe for 2011 (VGChartz, 2012). 

The reason for the success of these games is that it is able to accomplish these basic things:

• Family oriented entertainment
• Incredibly active
• Uses new technology
• Fun to watch others play

The nature of these games makes you want to play games with others. While there are many games that offer these experiences, I want to focus on the two most popular party games of 2011.
 
Kinect Adventures

Kinect Adventures was a game made for the whole family that was released alongside the Xbox Kinect (a device that let players play games without a remote). The game consisted of five different mini games that showed the interactive potential of the Kinect.  I enjoyed playing the white water rafting portion of the game and it was fun to play this game with friends.

Just Dance 3  

 
Ubisoft's Just Dance 3 was an international hit that made anyone a dancer.  Playing this game is fun for everyone and will make you sweat.  Players could choose from over 40 different dance songs to play with their family and friends. This is a fantastic game to play and be social during a party or just when you want to have a family game night.

Be sure to check out my next blog post for another aspect of social gaming.


References 

Entertainment Software Association. (2011, January). Retrieved from http://www.theesa.com/facts/gameplayer.asp


VGChartz. (2012, January 12). Vgchartz.  Retrieved from http://www.vgchartz.com/yearly/2011/Global/ 

Myth: Video games Lead to Social Isolation Part 1

The culture of video games has a reputation for being a nerdy, lazy hobby where gamers sit in their rooms and do nothing but play video games. Gamers are usually thought of as people who never go outside to socialize with their peers. While this may be true for some people who play games, this is far from the truth. Part 1 of this 3 part series will focus on how the Internet has impacted socializing in video games.

Internet and video games

Due to the increased accessibility of high speed Internet, gamers are able to connect and play with people from all over the globe. World of Warcraft, a role-playing online PC game, has had over 12 million subscribers at its peak (Cifaldi, 2011). The people who play this game often interactive with each other to complete missions and just to have fun.

Another interesting fact is that there are over 40 million users who have signed up for Xbox live accounts on their Xbox 360(Raby, 2012). The people who use xbox live often play games and use party chat just to talk with friends who play video games with them. Gamers are also socializing with others by using the video game consoles to watch movies, TV shows, and sporting events.

Gamers have a desire to socialize with others while having fun. Game developers know this and have increased making games with cooperative or competitive games in mind. Recent games such as Borderlands 2, Halo 4, and the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 focus heavily on multiplayer to increase social interaction between players.

I usually play these or similar games so that I can interact with friends old and new. For example, one of my best friends lives on the other side of the United States and I often turn on my xbox to play games and watch Netflix while I talk with him.  While it is great to play games with him and other friends online, sometimes its good to interact with people face to face. Make sure to check out part 2 for a feature focused on physically active video games.

References 

 

Cifaldi, F. (2011, November 8). World of Warcraft Loses Another 800K Subs In Three Months Gamasutra.

Retrieved from http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/38460/#.ULJXrIao0ZQ

Raby, M. (2012, January 10). Xbox Live users topple 40 million. TG Daily. Retrieved from http://www.tgdaily.com/games-and-entertainment-brief/60687-xbox-live-users-topple-40-million