Life is a MetaGame

I just finished reading a sci-fi/fantasy novel by Sam Landstrom, a technical writer for Microsoft, called MetaGame. The book is available for free on the iTunes bookstore and similar retailers. MetaGame describes a future society where people are continuously involved in “The Game,” a way of life where people earn points for their actions, use said points as currency, and worship an advanced Artificial Intelligence entity known as the OverSoul.

The Game is comprised of two major game classifications: grinder and spanker games. The unfortunately named “spanker” games are similar to the games that we play today: for entertainment. These games are controlled in a different manner, however. Players are required to jack into the game with their Mind Interface Chips, allowing their senses of sight, sound, and smell to experience a virtual world. By physically moving about in the real world, the player experiences moving about in a dungeon of a MMORPG or taking cover in a massive firefight of a shooter game. Mostly, points cannot be earned in these games, only spent.

On the flip side, grinder games are the way people earn points while doing something productive for society. Then name is taken from the term “grinding” in RPG’s, as in grinding for gold, loot, or experience. Grinder games provide an incentive for doing actual work, the idea behind this being that accomplishing goals and earning points immediately will increase productivity, efficiency, and more people will want to do it. Points earned in the grinder game are used to make purchases for conveniences and for use in the spanker games.

In today’s society, grinder games don’t quite exist yet. Microsoft has made a game using Office’s Ribbon bar, called Ribbon Hero, as a way to teach how to use it efficiently. A game called EpicWin is coming out soon on the iPhone that is basically a to-do list. Players create tasks for them to accomplish. Completing these menial to complicated tasks reward the player’s character with gold, experience, loot, and titles. With Facebook integration, people are allowed to gloat about their winnings and completed tasks with their friends. This can spur on competition among friends to see who can complete the most tasks (as long as they are honest about it). Hopefully, this will increase productivity in a person’s life as well as reduce laziness!

MetaGame briefly describes the evolution of gaming to involve common tasks and development of said games. With interfaces as simple and efficient as the iPhone and Android phones and with Facebook to share our accomplishments, we are heading in a direction where games similar to the ones in MetaGame can actually help improve our ability to accomplish work. While a future similar to the one in the book may be many years off, we seem to be heading into that direction.

One note: MetaGame has been picked up by Amazon’s publishing house. It is receiving an edit and a hard copy release. I did notice some errors in the free copy of the book which I imagine will be fixed in the final release, along with some small clarifications. All in all, though, I felt that MetaGame was a good read and worth the time.

YouTube Fun

A few days ago, I was outside with my wife and son, chatting with one of our neighbors. My son, Sean, tends to keep to himself when he plays. He often draws on his imagination when he plays, thinking about the latest game he’s been playing. I saw Sean with one of his play swords attacking a bush. Of course, being the long time gamer that I am, I think of the Legend of Zelda series. For some reason, Link can go around towns and fields attacking bushes with his sword and find rupees in order to buy his empty bottles, bombs, arrows, and so on. So, as Sean goes to town against this bush, I can’t help but think about the Legend of Zelda. Using my iPhone 4, I record Sean attacking the bush, thinking that I can take some sounds and sprites from the games and place them on the video. With some quick work in Final Cut Pro, I got this as a final result. I hope you enjoy it!

World of Warcraft vs. The Real World

There has been a lot of controversy lately concerning Blizzard's announcement of Facebook integration into their Battle.net system, called Real ID. Apparently, people don't want their real names associated with their World of Warcraft/Starcraft II/Diablo III avatars. It makes sense to me because people tend to play games to escape the pains and the trials of the real world. One person's post about why WoW (and pretty much all MMO's) should remain anonymous pretty much sums up all reasons everyone makes in the 2500+ pages of posts in the official Blizzard forums.

However, I'm not writing about the controversy. Enough people have done that for me. What I'm talking about today is the issues presented in Nattie's post. I'm pretty disturbed at the thought that the collective community of gamers can act in the way described. I mean, the Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory makes perfect sense, but I would like to think that the majority of gamers are actually good natured people. Unfortunately, anonymity brings out the true nature of most people...

When we went to PAX East, I was so happy because I felt like I was in a place that I "belonged". I joined together with a group of people who were JUST LIKE ME! Nearly every single person there was genuinely nice and well-mannered people. When the gamer crowd was united together, we could be ourselves. At least, I felt that we were being ourselves. Unfortunately, hearing about the racism and stalkers and harassment of females slapped that apparently unrealistic view of our community that I had!

Now, I'm not a WoW player. I have never played the game. I don't see the fun in grinding for levels and loot. I imagine that it is a lot like Diablo II. The game was fun at first, but then it became a continuous loop of Fight Bad Guys/Heal/Fight More Bad Guys/Grab Loot/Heal/Fight Even More Bad Guys/Town Portal/Sell Loot/Upgrade Weapons and Such/Repeat. I got kind of tired of it. Now add other people into the mix. Blizzard tried to do this in Diablo II in small groups with Battle.net. I never did that either. I guess it's because I prefer to play games on my own. I've never been a cooperative game player. Does WoW have a lot of players who are from the mainstream community? Are the the type of people who go to conventions like PAX more of the extroverted personality? Is this why I had such a "rose-colored lens" image of the gamer community?

Will you every stop playing video games?

While watching the latest installment of PATV, Mike and Jerry were asked the question "Do you think you'll ever stop playing video games?"  I was taken aback by the thought.  I've been "playing video games" since I was 8 years old and my Dad bought us the original NES.  I was never an arcade fan, until I met my husband, so home consoles were the beginning for me.  The first Super Mario Bros,
Duck Hunt, BurgerTime, and the Legend of Zelda were the baptismal waters for my lifelong interest.   I remember being taken on exciting trips to the Video Rental store (BEFORE BLOCKBUSTER BECAME A HOUSEHOLD NAME, can you believe it?), and I believe that the shop was called "PLACER VIDEO STORE".  And my brother and I would peruse the offerings.  Of course when I became aware of BOYS, video games became a latent interest, carried by my younger brothers as they purchased each new Nintendo Console as it came out. 
Then in high school I met a boy who's PRIMARY interest was video games and that altered my life forever.  He was immediately welcomed into my family of video gamers, as all three brothers were raised on them.  And I think Jeff would tell you that in the hours that he'd play sitting on the floor of my living room he found acceptance and a place that he belonged.  Because in the world I grew up in there were no restrictions on how long or when you could play.  We played Final Fantasy III for the SNES together.  That was our first game.  I went off to college and immediately found friends who played video games and HOURS were spent playing fighters and watching friends complete RPGs.
I married Jeff and he introduced me to the world of arcade rhythm games.  DanceDanceRevolution practically raised our children for a a few years.  And there were always the RPGs.  As the kids grew older our game playing time was restricted to "After bedtime" or to "kid-friendly" games.  And now the kids get a lot of say in what games we play.  Games like Super Mario Galaxy 2 are more for THEM then they are for us, but we enjoy them just as much, if not more.  Knowing WHERE Mario has come from gives the games a special flavor. 
But to answer the question, "Will I ever stop playing video games?"  No.  I doubt there will ever come a time that video games as an entertainment media will ever stop appealing to me.  Especially as the  media continues to change.  Now I use it as a fitness tool and an education tool for my children as well as entertainment.  I will continue to be there as video games evolve.  And I will enjoy every minute of it.

Finally, a D&D that I'll try!

I tried playing Dungeons & Dragons ONCE in college.  That seemed TOO geeky for me . . . And you have to get PRETTY geeky for me to turn you down.  But after my journey to PAX East, I've been intrigued by the game.  SO many people talk about being turned onto it at PAX . . . I feel like I missed out on a great opportunity.  I know that my husband would LOVE to play as a Dungeon Master (not like THAT, people!) and I have a feeling that my daughter's current interest in RPGs (both old and new) may be the vehicle we need to get into a D&D family tradition.  Having said ALL THAT, today's news item from Penny Arcade links to a D&D adventure that is set up for children 6 and older.  I am SO thrilled!  After my trip up to Sacramento for the PTA conference, I am hoping we can take a chance at Heroes of Hesiod: A Monster Slayers Game!  A new level of Geekness has arrived!

Video Games are Art?

There is a lot of hubbub about video games and art again, with Roger Ebert speaking his mind on how video games can NEVER be art. Penny Arcade has weighed in on the subject as well as everyone who has replied to Ebert's blog entry.

I'm very curious as to why this is even an argument... Frankly, art is something completely subjective. I'm sure that there are some people out there who feel that movies are not, or could ever be, art. Kellie Santiago, of thatgamecompany, gave a speech at USC making the argument that games already ARE art. So, who is correct?

As Kellie started her argument, the definition of art must first be explored. She looked at the definition on Wikipedia, which one could argue isn't the best place to get the definition. In fact, the top of the page states that "the article has multiple issues"! While Kellie uses the definition at the beginning of the Wikipedia article, further down is a definition from Britannica Online which says, "the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others." With this definition, one could definitely say that video games are art. Arguments exist concerning the definition of art, however. I won't go into gross detail here, as one can easily research the fact that there is no definitive answer to the question, "What is art?"

With that being said, how can one say with any certainty at all that video games can NEVER be art? The idea of something being a "piece of art" is entirely in the eye of the beholder. Does the piece stir emotional feelings inside? Does it make you feel passionate, strong, heart-broken, or intense? If so, then what you are seeing/feeling/experiencing is probably art. At least, that piece is art to you, the beholder.

It is pretty funny to me that this topic has come up yet again at this moment in time. This past weekend, I finished the storyline for Final Fantasy XIII. As we watched the ending together as a family, my daughter begins to cry because of the tragedy (I'm avoiding spoilers here...) that occurs during those final moments. This was the first time that she cried during a video game. If the game could stir that sort of emotional response in my seven-year old daughter, and if she could hold such an emotional attachment to those characters, then I could argue that Final Fantasy XIII is a work of art to her, according to some of the definitions out there. I can't help but remember various moments in my own life of particular games that I was playing at the time and the feelings that I had while playing those games. Games like the Final Fantasy series, Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, the Metal Gear series, Xenogears, and others have affected me deeply and have potentially shaped the person that I am today. You can see Juri and I telling the folks at Penny Arcade about our emotional connection to Final Fantasy VI on Penny Arcade: The Series (around 1:48).

So are video game art? I happen to think they are. But then, something is only a "piece of art" if you feel that it is.

We're Pro-common sense parents . . .

In an interview with Cheryl Olson, This is my Joystick delves into the parents vs video games debate.

 I encourage you to read the WHOLE article, and then go buy Cheryl Olson's book, Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do.  My favorite question asked by the interviewer was:
Q. Violence, not only in gaming, but in all kinds of media, has become more and more graphical and realistic, partly because some technical limitations came to pass, and partly because some taboos have fallen with time. Just to make an example, in old cartoons violence was depicted in a very comical way. Think about the Warner Bros classics. The poor Wile E. Coyote ended up smashed, minced, exploding, falling from deadly heights and generally prey to all kinds of normally lethal and quite bloody occurrences. Despite that, he always walked out without a scratch, or maybe with just a big bump on the head. Nowadays in an average animated production outside of the usual Disney movies such actions would have much more graphical and realistic consequences. The same “evolution” happened with video games. What do you think of the difference between these two kinds of portraying violence? Is the first one really safe for kids? Is the second one really a problem?
“Some researchers have worried about the effects of cartoon violence on kids; in fact, one of the better-known longitudinal studies of TV violence (following kids over time) included Road Runner cartoons on their list of most-violent programs. I think the fact that most parents grew up with these shows, and they and their friends did not act out such violence in real life or refuse to believe in the laws of physics, reassures parents that cartoon violence is not a big concern.
Also, children today seem to enjoy more sophisticated stories in their cartoons, not just the same old steam-rolling and exploding. Many researchers feel it’s important for children to see the consequences of actions, even in cartoons and that children too young to “get” cause and effect should have their TV watching restricted. In my experience, children are pretty clear on fantasy vs reality.
Too much of anything can be a problem, of course, and children left in front of violent cartoons for many hours a week might well be more aggressive, but that might have more to do with the lack of other healthy activities and exercise. Research shows that in a surprising number of homes, the TV is left on almost all the time, and this is linked to a higher risk for problems.
Similar to the situation with TV cartoons, I think as gamers become parents, there will be less concern over cartoon-type game violence. There may be greater concern over realistic violence, especially when it’s linked to moral issues such as war, sexism/racism, or benefiting from crime.
“Realism” is a complex concept; realistic graphics by themselves don’t necessarily make a game feel more real, and some games with simple graphics can feel real due to complex characters and realistic dialogue or situations.”

As a parent, who video games with her kids I agree that "cartoon-type" violence is not so much a concern of ours.  We grew up watching Tom and Jerry and The Roadrunner cartoons and we turned out fine.  And fantasy violence, such as the battles in the Final Fantasy series have always been played in front of the kids.  But it's pretty difficult to emulate that type of violence in real life.  How many of us have access to swords or lances??  Super realistic violence, such as battlefield scenes, or games where the character fights with a gun or his fists have NEVER been okay.  It's too easy for our children to become desensitized to the horrific implications of that type of harm.  I don't want my kids thinking its okay to go out and shoot people for "points".  Later in the article the author states that she is NOT pro-video games or anti-video games, she is PRO-COMMON SENSE.  And in the seemingly eternal battle of parents/media vs video games, that's really what we need.  We need people to READ the back of the video game box themselves, sit down and PLAY the games with their own children and make decisions that are educated!  

I Geek About . . . . DISNEYLAND!

I got the GREATEST Tweet today!  Disneyland's "World of Color" show in California Adventure will debut on June 11th!  It makes our trip in September that much more exciting! Here's a video to help you get on the "excited" train with me!

A Juggling Act

What a weekend I just had! I definitely think it tops as one of the greatest weekends that I have ever had in my life! Making a statement like that is a pretty tall order, especially when I was so busy. However, I know this to be true...

Being a parent, a Chief in the Navy, a gamer, a student, and a husband all at the same time poses an incredible challenge. Somehow, I have to be able to do everything that I need to do, that I want to do, and tend to the needs of others. So, when I was presented with the challenge of completing a paper for my class, running a couple miles for my kids' school district, visiting with old friends, playing some games (of course!), and spending quality time with my wife and kids, Juri and I took a step back and made a plan!
I'm hard at work on completing my Bachelor's in IT Management by currently working on a class on finance information systems. Unfortunately, with my hatred for anything involving money and economics, this class isn't as easy as others for me. I am taking the material very seriously, attempting to squeeze every drop of knowledge out of the key terms and concepts. So, I wrote my first paper for the class earlier in the week and attempted to work on my second paper (due on Monday, today) while I was on 24-hour duty at work. Unfortunately, things kept coming up and I was too busy to concentrate on school at all. In between my duty days, being at home wasn't any calmer. So, once Friday rolled around and I still hadn't written anything, I needed to come up with some sort of plan to make everything happen. Juri and I talked it over and came up with a schedule that would allow us to get it all done.
That night, I read the majority of the information that I needed to review for the paper and started to jot notes. We had signed up for a "Run for the Arts", a fundraiser for the kids' art programs at their school. That was going down first thing Saturday morning. This would be followed by a meet-up with old friends that moved to the San Diego area at Breakers Beach in Coronado. We also decided at the last minute that we would go out on a movie date night, so we needed to get a babysitter. I would then spend Sunday morning writing my paper and then go jet skiing with another set of friends that afternoon. Sounds like a good plan! Oh, I made time for some Final Fantasy XIII that night too!
Saturday morning, we get up and head out to Lindo Lakes in Lakeside for the "Run for the Arts." I'm running competitively, Juri runs to run it, and the kids walk the course. It was a great event and I managed to get 21st place overall with a 14:40 run time, coming in first in the 30-39 age group! I went back up the course, cheered Juri on, and then walked in the rest of the way with Sean and Maia. Once we got near the finish, I encouraged Sean to run it the rest of the way in. Maia didn't want to, so I threw her up onto my shoulders and ran in with her. After word, we had some lunch and I found out that I got first place and received a medal. We then went home and started to clean the house while I took some more notes for my paper. I began to have a clear direction that my paper would take. We called for a babysitter from Marion's Childcare but didn't know if we would be able to get one or not, since it was last minute.
Next, we headed to the beach. I was feeling pretty damn good at this point, so I started running around the beach with the kids, climbing up the frame of the swing set there, and playing wave tag. I even took the opportunity to get some sun, attempting to become less stark white! After a great visit with our old friends, we returned home, finding out that we did secure a babysitter! So, we finished cleaning up the house, I finished my notes for the paper, and Juri and I went to the movie. We saw Hot Tub Time Machine (which she talks about below) and enjoyed the crap out of that! Once the movie was over, we still had an hour to kill. So, we headed over to Eastbound Bar and Grill in Lakeside for some drinks and conversation.
The next morning, I wake up and start typing my paper. I managed to get it all wrapped up quickly, having it proofread and submitted by 11am. While I was writing the paper, Juri finds out that we aren't going to jet ski after all, so our day opened up. With the paper done, I relax by playing some Final Fantasy XIII. We then take the kids outside for a while to play with our neighbors and then invite them over to play DJ Hero at the house. It was tons of fun with pizza and good music.

Thankfully, I managed to get my paper written successfully, spend some quality time with the kids and Juri, get my work done, and make some progress in my games! It is definitely a juggling act getting all these tasks done and it may sound weird to plan on playing games, but sometimes it is absolutely essential in order to meet all of your obligations to your work, your family, and yourself. Especially for games like Final Fantasy XIII! Overall, I had one of the greatest weekends of my life. I was able to get so much accomplished and I feel completely satisfied because of it. Oh, expect a review from me for DJ Hero soon. That game is incredible and it has an awesome soundtrack too!

You be the judge

Jeff and I went to see a movie last night, HOT TUB TIME MACHINE.

If you're wondering HOW this relates to being geeks or raising geeks just wait for it . . . . Jeff and I are geeks for 80s stuff (see? told you).  Remember that VH-1 show "I LOVE THE 80s"??  Yeah we practically recorded it to watch it again.  We were born in the LATE 70s, and hardly lived the 80s, but of course our parents were heavily influenced by the trends which gave us a lasting impression of coolness.  Hey, when you're 9 years old your parents ARE cool!  Sooooooo . . . we were excited to see this movie.  I was NOT impressed when I walked into the theater and sat in front of a NINE year old!  He was with his parents, but that just made the situation worse.  Everyone has the right to parent "Their Own Way" with certain legal restrictions.  However, what made these parents think that an R rated movie about 4 guys going back in time to relive their 18th year was a good idea?  And living it up as 18 year olds in 1986?  As you can expect there was a TON of boobs, sex, rampant drug use, foul language and blood.  Made for a VERY funny movie when you're 31 and wishing that you got to experience the 80s for what it really was.  But as a 9 year old?  I bet he has a ton of questions for his parents today . . . and if not, I feel sad that he has obviously already been de-sensitized by his parents choices.  (and there was the part about raising geeks.  I don't disappoint) 
I know that not everyone can agree on one another's parenting choices.  I have friends that let their kids play video games that are rated M.  That rating is given to the game for a reason.  You should be MATURE enough to realize its not real, to realize that its NOT a good idea to go out and kill people or pick up prostitutes or whatever.  I have friends that let their kids watch shows that I would think are WAAAAY to mature for young ages.  I also have friends that think I'm too free with screen time, and just allowing my kids to play video games is akin to warping their minds.  
Raising little geeks is rough, and everyone has their own set of morals and values that they use to guide their parenting choices.  But I'm gonna say this, if you make those parenting choices in public, people are gonna judge you.  And then they may blog about you! 

AN AUDIENCE!

While pining for inspiration, Jeff mentions to me "Hey, did you see we have a follower?" And I was like, "WHAT?!?!?" So thank you Miss Photina for giving me VALIDATION! Yes!

Jeff is always a font of inspiration when it comes to video games and blogs relating to video games. He suggested that I write to you about my SORE ELBOWS. That's right, my elbows hurt. And that's because he bought me JUST DANCE for the Wii for my 31st birthday. I LOVE this game! Its the first rhythm game we have EVER owned THAT I CAN BEAT MY HUSBAND AT! Yeah!! Jeff is a master of DDR, Beatmania, Pop'n'Music, DJ Hero, Rock Band . . . and lest we forget the obscure ones, DJ Max Portable and REZ. I suck at all of them. But apparently my 6 years of Colorguard/Dance and all those Jazzercise classes have given me an edge on Just Dance. It has also given me VERY sore elbows. Remember how sore your elbows were when you first got your WII and you played Wii bowling for like THREE hours because YOU JUST COULDN"T STOP??? Yeah, I played a total of two hours of Just Dance that first day. And now I'm paying for it.













ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+ for lyrics and mild suggestive themes.

It's a FUN game, but it has little replay value. There are a total of 32 songs and once you play through and get over 15000 points on each, there's nothing left to "Accomplish" in the game. One would hope that they would have included a feature to download new songs and dances, but sadly they have not. It'll be GREAT for when you have a bunch of friends over for a few drinks or for when your pre-teen has some friends over and they have WAAAY too much energy. For our family, two adults and two little kids, it holds less value. For my 6 year old daughter, the controls are good enough that she was earning a good amount of points. But she's still uncoordinated enough that she was frustrated by getting beat down by her Mommy. So for LITTLE ones, it's a poor choice. Still, my elbows attest to the fact that the initial playthrough was WELL worth the price.
My Rating: Teen for it being a great game FOR the pre-teen to teenager group that always has SOME friends hanging around.

Jeff's angle: So, yeah, she can beat me at the game. She is right though. She is much more coordinated when it comes to moving your whole body in fluid motions that are coordinated with music. I just like to slam on foot panels to some arrows in time with music. That isn't really dancing! =)

Anyway, Just Dance seems like a game that is made for the party scene, much like the majority of Wii games out there. I would like to break this game out at a party at our house one day, throw some alcohol into the mix and see the chaos and hilarity ensue... I think that is when this game REALLY shines!!

Game Review: Final Fantasy XIII for PS3/360

ESRB Rating: Teen for mild language, suggestive themes, and violence.

So, Juri wrote up a review for Cave Story, I might as well get a review out as well. Since I'm playing through Final Fantasy XIII right now on my PlayStation 3, I figured this would be a good game to write about.

For the uninitiated, Final Fantasy is a series of role playing games developed and published by Square Enix. While this is the thirteenth game in the series, it does not mean that you are required to play the others before this one to know what is going on. The games do contain running consistencies, such as certain monsters, a type of bird called a chocobo, active time battle systems (with slight modifications to this system between most releases), compelling story lines, central themes, etc.

With that said, Final Fantasy XIII tells the story of six individuals who are forced to work together when they are transformed into L'Cie (pronounced la-see), becoming ostracized by the public and the government because of their newly-gained magical powers. The general theme for this iteration of Final Fantasy and the underlying mysteries are slowly revealed to the player as they fight to survive and escape the wrath of the government.

Final Fantasy XIII continues to use a real-time battle system developed in Final Fantasy XII. Gone are the days of random battles from prior titles, but this entry brings the return of separate battle fields, rather than the MMO-style of battles from XII. The player controls the party leader, directing their actions specifically or allowing the computer to select actions for the leader based on their assigned role. The two other members of the party automatically act based on their assigned roles. After reaching a certain point in the game, the player is able to adjust what roles the party members are assigned on the fly, adjusting the actions each character takes. This leads to a bit more of a real-time strategy element of game play. The battles can be fairly easy to win, since the player simply has to tell the computer to auto-assign actions to the lead character, switching roles as needed to heal party members when things get rough. However, if you underestimate your opponents, you can find yourself overwhelmed if you don't pay attention. Overall, the battle system is more action packed than previous Final Fantasies, and a lot more fun in my opinion!

One of the chief complaints that I've had (and others have told me as well) is the linearity of the game. Players seem to just be guided along through each area, without too many side paths or extra tasks to accomplish, especially in the beginning hours of the game! However, once you get to the point where you can develop your characters and assign roles, and once you discover what the games central theme is, you'll find that the initial linearity of the game is purposeful and understandable. The game busts wide open in the final chapters, allowing the player to go pretty much wherever they want. Unfortunately, beginning players may want to just continue along with the story, returning to fight the game's toughest battles until after the final boss is defeated. It isn't until the player saves after the final fight that the characters can be fully developed into the strongest fighters.

Overall, Final Fantasy XIII's incredible game play improvements, graphical presentation, and storyline are incredible and well deserve the time invested. As for family, the game lends itself well to be watched because nearly every battle is exciting and the story is amazing to watch unfold in some incredible cutscenes! The game's format also lends itself well to multiple players passing the controller around between battles, sharing the experience with fellow gamers, or for those backseat gamers (like Juri) to watch and enjoy the story and provide backup when my characters are in trouble. I highly recommend the game to returning Final Fantasy fans and to newcomers to the series!
My rating: Teen because of the mature storyline and deep real-time battle system.

We're Famous!

Well, famous by association.  You can see me and my family in the latest episode of Penny Arcade TV.  Penny Arcade is a webcomic written by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins.  We practically worship these guys because they are getting rich by doing what we love: playing video games and talking about them.  I actually won a contest by the ESRB to go to PAX East, meet Mike and Jerry and be DRAWN by Mike for the ESRB ads for 2010.  A COMPLETE DREAM COME TRUE.  That experience was absolutely magical.  We felt like VIPs for that whole weekend.  And to be able to share it with my husband and children was just icing on the cake. 
My winning contest entry can be found here.  The ESRB Facebook Contest was an essay contest where they asked "If your family was a video game, what would be your ESRB game rating?"  They also asked "How do you personally find the game rating system to be useful?" 
So please feel free to read my essay, to watch the video and to share my glory.  As I continue to get news of the esrb ads being drawn by Mike Krahulik of Penny Arcade I will keep you updated!

ONE TV?

Anyone who knows us may be surprised that we only have ONE functional TV in our house. ONE TV?? YOU LOVE VIDEO GAMES, HAVE CHILDREN THAT LOVE VIDEO GAMES AND ONE OF YOU HAS AN ADDICTION TO NETWORK TELEVISION AND YOU ONLY HAVE ONE TV?!!!??? That's the level of surprise that this news usually creates. But yes, we only have one tv that ALL of our systems and cable box are plugged into.
HOW do we manage the needs and wants of each individual??? That may be the next question that pops into your head. Well, its simple; we SHARE. It's a radical idea in this materialistic world, but my husband, my two children and I SHARE the TV. During the work/school day it is mostly turned off, although I may occasionally have a lunch break that I'm HOME and can sneak some TV in. In the evenings after homework and before bedtime is when most of the negotiating happens. If Jeff has a video game that he's been playing, that's usually what we watch. Otherwise its cartoons for the kids. After bedtime its nearly ALWAYS Jeff's video game, unless he has school work. And on the weekends we trade off. And we don't use a timer! We've ALWAYS had ONLY ONE tv, so the kids have grown up sharing. They know to ask politely for their turn, and as adults we know to mediate appropriately. Its actually a system that works out nicely.
Your third question after learning of this ARCHAIC condition is probably "WHY??? You own every console ever made! You have three computers! Its obvious that you can AFFORD another TV! In fact EVERY ROOM IN YOUR HOME HAS A CABLE HOOK UP!" Well LONG ago when Sean was first born I was voraciously reading Parenting magazines. And in that reading I read about a study that linked tvs in bedrooms to childhood obesity and lowered GPAs. Having been a very heavy child, that is something I want to avoid AT ALL COSTS for my own children. So I became NAZI-MOM about tvs in bedrooms. Later readings would reveal studies that linked tvs in adult bedrooms to lack of sleep and poor sex drive. NO TVS IN OUR BEDROOMS EITHER. And although I was pretty heavy handed about it before, I've relaxed since. But we still have yet to move a tv into another room besides the FAMILY room. We've found that we're closer as a family, brought together by our mutual love of video games and cartoons. We've found that our kids have learned patience in a practical but useful way. And while my husband disagrees, I think our choices in video games have been subtly changed by the fact that we HAVE to play in front of the kids. I think we dont' just run out and by the newest greatest game that comes out. We think about our TIME investment, the effect it'll have on the kids. I think we've invested more time in really engaging games that the whole family can enjoy, like Little Big Planet and Katamari Damacy just because we CAN.
One TV has really brought us together as a family. I wish more people would try it.

Jeff's angle: Juri makes a wonderful argument for one TV in a household. As I think about it more, I do begin to wonder if my choices in games HAD changed since having children and having only one TV in the house. I'd like to think that I still play games that I've always wanted to play through since my kids were born. Yeah, my tastes have definitely changed over the years. I don't find first-person shooters to be as fun any more. Granted, I have still played some of them: Bioshock being the most recent example. I'm finding that action games are getting harder for me as I get older too. Of course, that doesn't stop me from playing them, or twitch music games like beatmania. Juri and I played through Bioshock at night only after the kids have gone to sleep. We have done that for other games that we don't want the kids to see as well, such as Metal Gear Solid 4 and Dead Space. I would say that most games we play in our house though are family friendly and we definitely make an informed choice about the games we buy. That choice isn't just about the kids though, it is also about the time investment. If there is anything that playing RPG's has taught me, it is that I ensure that I only play games that I ensure will be worth the time spent and that it will be something that the majority of the family can enjoy together.

I'd like to ask you a few questions . . . .

As I think more about this blog, I'd really like to have a weekly feature where I interview someone in the gaming industry who IS a parent.  I'd LOVE to start with Mike Krahulik from Penny Arcade.  While his counterpart, Jerry Holkins, is a parent as well, Mike has a son who is just entering school age, the prime age for introducing some of the greatest games of all time.  *cough Pokemon cough*  Mike and Jerry always seem to have their finger on the pulse of the gaming world and I'm sure they have a unique perspective on parenting future gamers. 

But I wonder what KIND of questions I'd ask.  If anyone has suggestions, please feel free to share!  Maybe eventually my blog will be big enough to attract attention from the industry and I can actually do an interview like that. I'd would be MORE than happy to give you credit for any questions you suggest.  It'd be like one INTERNET -WIDE Q&A session!

Game Review : Cave Story for WiiWare

ESRB Rating: E+10 for mild cartoon violence and mild language.

Jeff recently introduced the kids to Cave Story for Wiiware, a re-release of "the most well-known indie game of all time". Jeff has been a fan of Cave Story for some time, and played the original on his computer a few years ago. The characters were simple and really captivated the kids attention. With its release on the Wii through the Wiiware store, we got to relive the simple joy that is Cave Story.


The story is simple on the surface, a peaceful planet inhabited by the bunny-like Mimigas needs rescuing from an evil force. You play a robot who has awoken from a "Slumber" in the planets' time of need. The enemies are all quite adorable which appeals to me and my children. It's easier to accept defeat when your enemy was a sweet little flying lump.

The controls are simple jump and shoot moves, although a jet pack gets thrown in to help with those hard to reach places. My 8 year old could manuever quite easily through the early levels. The enemy onslaught does get quite fierce at times, which could overwhelm the beginner-gamer. But experienced kids know that you just have to KEEP SHOOTING and they will eventually thin out. The bosses take relatively few hits, however they do take some skill. It's a short game, as my husband can get through the whole story in an afternoon.

All in all its a wonderful throw back to the simple but beautiful games of the 8-bit era. The music, art and story were all the work of a single man who goes by the moniker of PIXEL. Cave Story is an excellent way to share a fresh story with an older feel. It shows our kids that you don't have to have realistic graphics, music performed by a 100-piece orchestra or elaborate cut scenes to make a good game. In fact, some of the best are made to BE simple to show off the fun of the gameplay and the joy of completing a good story.

Jeff's angle: While Cave Story is certainly a cute game with some frenetic action (especially at the end), there are some mature themes present. PIXEL makes commentary on the use of weapons, the value of life, magic, insanity, and death. Of course, most people won't get to some of these topics in the course of normal gameplay. PIXEL has crafted an amazing game to play through with multiple endings, and getting to the true ending of the game is no easy feat if you don't know what you are doing. Fortunately, there are subtle hints sprinkled throughout for the observant. With a lack of blood, the game is definitely enjoyable to play with the whole family, especially with the huge boss fights for your kids to cheer you through!

Cave Story is probably too difficult for your kids to play though. My 8-year old son has a tough time with it, though he is getting better with practice in the game's boss rush mode. Yeah, that is where he practices his game play. Where better though? If you can't beat a boss, you can't progress through the game. If you can beat a boss, you obviously have the skill to press onward. Since Cave Story is made in the same vein as old 8-bit or 16-bit games, beating bosses involves identifying and memorizing patterns, a useful skill for my budding mathematician son. Finally, it'll help bolster his dexterity for harder games and other activities.

Overall, Cave Story is a great game to play with the whole family, whether just one person plays while the rest watches the story (which unfolds at a decent pace), or whether you swap between family members after bosses or retries.
My rating: E+10 for its increasing difficulty in gameplay and slightly mature elements.

We all have to start somewhere

I think we started out with DDR (Dance Dance Revolution). That was the first game that my son took interest in when we played it. And it was one of the few games that we owned that could be played in front of a toddler. Our son, Sean, had a favorite song (B4U) and LOVED to get up on the arcade version next to Daddy. When our daughter was born, Daddy would often dancedance her to sleep to the slower songs.

That's how it began.. ..

We've been very conscious of exposing our kids to video games and their content from the get-go. We use the ESRB guidelines to help us make decisions. We also use our own judgement. That's the benefit of being a Mommy who ALSO plays video games. I don't just SEE what my now 8 and 6 year olds play, I play WITH them.

And now I want to write about it.

I don't really know where to start. My plan is to just write everyday about how games or gamer culture has affected our family. I hope that its funny. I also hope to someday write about how our family is affecting the Gaming community. So I'm just going to PRESS START. Hopefully I'll eventually get readers and feedback and this blog will take on a shape. WISH ME LUCK!