Sony or Nintendo

[betsy]

Dear betsy,

(they only get to play it when they're around 6 or 7 and up...we've had an on-going rule that they've got to play actively before they can sit down and play),

I am glad that you have some rules regarding gaming times. When I was young, my parents bought the family 'Pong' (from Coleco, I believe) and it was neat. Then, when the Atari 2600 came out, (one of my friend's family paid $300 to have the first one on the block, I got one a year or two later for $199) the parents decided that us kids should only use it as a 'rainy day' type of activity, so we all still rode our bikes, played pick-up baseball, foootball or street hockey, even though we had this 'fabulous new device' at home.

I'm really all for physical activity play. During the summer when I've got the older school-age siblings, we do "missions" in the backyard. I make up scenarios, of course ala-RPG that get them doing obstacle-course-type of activities and other fun games.

It was a kid I babysat who introduced me to the original Zelda. Boy, I would call him in the middle of my game at night asking him for help!

[MightyAC]

Yeah, you could argue that. Also, there's the cholesteral buildup and muscle atrophy associated with inactivity. All I saw was that these video games were like drugs to my kids and they literally wouldn't move unless I made them, ever. That's all they wanted to do. But, to each their own as parents I guess. I don't think they do any good for anything myself. That's just the physical side.

I also think they numb the childs mind to violence. Who knows what baggage tags along with that later on down the road?

I had video games growing up. I had an Atari 2600 and a Commodore 64 yet I still spent most of my time outside. My parents didn't have to force me to play road hockey, tag and other active games we just wanted to. I absolutely loved video games but they ust seemed like a first thing in the morning or after dark type of activity.

My parents were moderately active so maybe they lead somewhat by example. They also didn't ever ban anything. By anything, I mean TV, video games, pop, chips, candy, etc...I wasn't allowed to crack a beer and watch porn at 8. They just made healthy activities seem appealing and they participated in many of them with us.

I had several friends with parents that would set TV limits, like 30 minutes a day max, and prevent them from drinking pop, eating chips, playing video games, etc. When they came over to my house all they wanted to do was sit on their arses and stare at the boob tube, play Donkey Kong and drink Tahiti Treat. (Hey anyone know if they still make that?) I know this example doesn't apply to all cases and all children but I have found that, so far, with some young relatives and neighbours kids that having an adult play with them and lead by example goes a long way.

Hopefully the same formula works with my kids. At the moment they are too young for video games or sports but my wife and I are trying to remain as active as possible in an effort to lead by example. I play hockey and we both play golf, baseball and ultimate Frisbee. Besides I know I can beat my son at sports until he reaches his teens but kids these days seem to be instinctively good at video games. I think our widespread use of chemicals, microwaves, etc have mutated the genetic make up of young people, giving them super human video game playing abilities. My wife's, cousin's kids kick my but at NHL 07 (and every other game they own) despite the fact that I've been playing every iteration since 95....it ain't right...it just ain't right.

[theloniusfleabag]

Dear Black Dog,

Yes, there may be some 'visual benefits', as well as detriments...

http://www.neurologyindia.com/article.asp?...=2;aulast=Singh

Rather than calling it a 'photosensitive siezure', we could call it the latest dance craze....the 'funky chicken'! Or, the Vitus Dance!

[Who's Doing What?]

No, no, no.

Video games are to the detriment of society, rotting young (and old) minds. They promote inactivity.

So do online Political forums.

Why don't you go outside and protest something?

[theloniusfleabag]

Dear Who's Doing What?,

So do online Political forums.

Why don't you go outside and protest something?

Touche. On the other hand, protest is not the diametric opposite of inactivity.

[Who's Doing What?]

Dear Who's Doing What?,

So do online Political forums.

Why don't you go outside and protest something?

Touche. On the other hand, protest is not the diametric opposite of inactivity.

Ah but protest is political exercise.

[crazymf]

No, no, no.

Video games are to the detriment of society, rotting young (and old) minds. They promote inactivity.

So do online Political forums.

Why don't you go outside and protest something?

Way to stay on topic young fella...

[MightyAC]

Retailers and analysts across North America confirm that the hottest selling gaming console this past weekend was the Xbox 360.

In Canada Microsoft Game Studios was offering a three game deal with a system with a 20GB hard drive and an extra controller at one retailer for $449.99. One of the free games was Gears of War and when that sold out gamers could get the new Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and Xbox Live Arcade: Unplugged.

A quick trip around to several stores on Sunday saw all Nintendo Wii systems sold out, but the majority of gamers who were coming to get a Wii or a PlayStation 3 were taking advantage of the $449.99 Xbox 360 deal.

Microsoft also dropped the price of several of their Xbox 360 games and peripherals to try and out-market Sony and Nintendo.

As a result gamers will be hard-pressed to find an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or a Nintendo Wii on store shelves at least for the rest of this week.

"Retailers had a great four-day run and pretty much everything is gone. Sony dropped the ball and Nintendo didn't do that much better," said one Great Canadian Superstore electronics store manager who wished to remain anonymous. "They over-promised and under delivered in terms of the quantity of Wii systems that were available. Sony on the other hand warned everyone that supplies would be severely limited. Microsoft was the big winner. They had lots of systems and they had them priced right with game bundles that gamers were interested in."

It seems that Sony will be giving away buckets full of marketshare this time. A year head start won round 1 for M$, simple value bundling and short supply by Sony won round two for them as well. I'm willing to bet that Halo 3 will cause another surge in Xbox sales after Christmas giving them round 3.

[Remiel]

First of all, all that seizure stuff is a problem with people, not games. Just like you shouldn't drive if you're blind, you shouldn't play video games or watch TV with flashing lights if you have epileptic tendances. I worked with a guy who had those tendancies who played games by messing with the gamma so that they were really dark.

Second, and more importantly, video games have not desensitized me to violence. Real life has desensitized me to violence.

I want Nintendo to win this round, with Sony in second. That was Microsoft will learn to focus more of their resources on the new Games For Windows initiative. Once you get past the really lame name, it's not a bad plan.

[MightyAC]

I want Nintendo to win this round, with Sony in second. That was Microsoft will learn to focus more of their resources on the new Games For Windows initiative. Once you get past the really lame name, it's not a bad plan.

What? GFW is a simple quality assurance program and marketing ploy. Publishers pay a fee and agrees to some install, removal and controller parameters, M$ does a little testing and they get to use a logo on the box. Nothing earth shattering. Some of the XBox team had has been diverted to the Windows division already, in an attempt to get Vista done and shipped. I wonder if that has anything to do with Halo 3 being late.

[Charles Anthony]

I want Nintendo to win this round, with Sony in second.

What about Coke or Pepsi?

[DarkAngel_]

Sony!

I've started with Nintendo (got all the models up to N64)...and the thing that finally got to me was that, after spending so much time and money collecting games (which included researching what goes in my collection tracking some hard-to-find ones), I end up having to start over again with every new model. And it's impractical to have all these models sitting out gathering dust.

So I switched to PlayStation and tried it out. I like it. So I got the PS2, and I got it late too.

You can play old games to your latest model. I'll most probably get the PS3 in the future since it can still accomodate all the games from PS1 (though I'm in no big rush...I've got at least 15 games still waiting to be played on the PS2).

Sony seem to understand what makes the gamers tick...and they do carry a lot of RPGs!

With the older after-school kids (they only get to play it when they're around 6 or 7 and up...we've had an on-going rule that they've got to play actively before they can sit down and play), I use it for stressing the importance of responsibility (they've got to put back each game in their proper cases, placed in the proper containers etc..,) and respect for other people's property....and self-discipline.

I've also used the games to stress the importance of patience and perseverance when they try to overcome levels or hurdles. I print out hints and tips from the web (having them read if they ever got stuck in a game). I use it as a learning tool. I find that it helps me bond with older kids too. Right now I've got an 8 year-old and a 10-year old after-school kids.

As for spending more playing time than other things...I have to confess that sometimes, yes it grabs you. Just the same as tv would, getting people sitting for hours on marathon of soap or endless talk shows.

That's where self-discipline kicks in. I just have to make a rule and impose it on myself.

play 'elder scrolls 4: oblivion,' you'll no longer be so interested in going on that dream vacation, the air seems crisp, the lighting is perfect, and the detail, sensuous. the game play is freelance and mission, it has many guilds you can join. (Assassin guild is my favorite) skills to upgrade, the morning is the best time... spells can be custom, and you make your own weapons and armor, you can make potions from hundreds of ingredients, ride a horse, hide in hollowed out logs from guards, even find and ride a unicorn! guarded by minators. do the quest and fight demons, earn weapons and other items, break into the magic shop and steal the grand soul gem! or the bitter cup. pick up any item, escape from jail after being caught doing crime, steal the key or pick the lock, and fight hordes of zombie's, or a bandit that’s desperate, on the road. every person that is not player controlled has a schedule, from hunting to sweeping the porch, guarding against wolves, or stealing to feed their family.

this game is so awesome that the developers delayed it 4 months just to play it more! (test it on beta)

it was made by Bethsda, and they got help from scientists to make these lush, thick, beautiful forests.

you want an RPG with a big bang? play this and complain. (which you most likely won't.)

oh... its for x-box 360 and pc, the one for pc is better because it has an RPG maker kit for the game, i don't know of any web sites, but look it up, you'll like what you see.

[DarkAngel_]

First of all, all that seizure stuff is a problem with people, not games. Just like you shouldn't drive if you're blind, you shouldn't play video games or watch TV with flashing lights if you have epileptic tendances. I worked with a guy who had those tendancies who played games by messing with the gamma so that they were really dark.

Second, and more importantly, video games have not desensitized me to violence. Real life has desensitized me to violence.

I want Nintendo to win this round, with Sony in second. That was Microsoft will learn to focus more of their resources on the new Games For Windows initiative. Once you get past the really lame name, it's not a bad plan.

i can agree, i wish these lame corp pounding wars would stop and they'de give microsoft some advice! they may be praise worthy then don'tcha think? i mean sony of course, they keep yelling at them and not being a good sport, but your right it is an ok plan, but they need help, they actually did perrty good for a second run in. i played the xbox 360, and the only prob. is how bulky the power cord is. and it tends to over heat if you got the hard drive running for hours on end, but a coolant devic that you can buy helps with that.

[DarkAngel_]

No, no, no.

Video games are to the detriment of society, rotting young (and old) minds. They promote inactivity.

Here's a newsflash: Instead of playing NHL, why not go outside and play hockey? Duhhhh...

Another form of electronic babysitter, that's all. Or a pied piper....

Of course, we all have bad habits. This isn't as bad as others.

ummmm... have you played a really great video game? it teaches you something, lessons you experience in-game, they make a history of their own, and i do not like sports games, i play sports outside, but i cannot cast spells or fight the order in the tau-39 sector in real life, so i do it on a game, it is a boundless world of fun. a moving painting of art and form, it is the new art, i love it more then Picasso!

[betsy]

play 'elder scrolls 4: oblivion,' you'll no longer be so interested in going on that dream vacation, the air seems crisp, the lighting is perfect, and the detail, sensuous. the game play is freelance and mission, it has many guilds you can join. (Assassin guild is my favorite) skills to upgrade, the morning is the best time... spells can be custom, and you make your own weapons and armor, you can make potions from hundreds of ingredients, ride a horse, hide in hollowed out logs from guards, even find and ride a unicorn! guarded by minators. do the quest and fight demons, earn weapons and other items, break into the magic shop and steal the grand soul gem! or the bitter cup. pick up any item, escape from jail after being caught doing crime, steal the key or pick the lock, and fight hordes of zombie's, or a bandit that’s desperate, on the road. every person that is not player controlled has a schedule, from hunting to sweeping the porch, guarding against wolves, or stealing to feed their family.

this game is so awesome that the developers delayed it 4 months just to play it more! (test it on beta)

it was made by Bethsda, and they got help from scientists to make these lush, thick, beautiful forests.

you want an RPG with a big bang? play this and complain. (which you most likely won't.)

oh... its for x-box 360 and pc, the one for pc is better because it has an RPG maker kit for the game, i don't know of any web sites, but look it up, you'll like what you see.

Darn! It's only for the XBox?

Playing on PC...I can't feel the same enjoyment. I guess I don't feel comfy...it feels different from sprawling or reclining in front of the tv.

Right now I'm playing Dark Cloud 2 (have finished Dark Cloud 1)...an old game but it has a lot of things to do too other than building up your level. Side quests, fishing (which involves levelling up too)...then you can breed your own fish and level them up and enter them in contests. There's the game "spheda"...it's like golf (but you use different clubs for different purpose), you also level up and can morph your weapons. You have supporting characters that you can take with you to battle....choosing from their different abilities!

I like war strategies too...like the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series (although I've got them still waiting to be played. Reading the tutorials and learning the controls is an aspect that I find daunting sometimes). I'm into action too...but I find them stressful....so I play them in little doses. You should see God of War....the graphics is just awesome!

I usually go to Gamefaqs and GameSpot to check out the reviews on games...or post on their message board for recommendations.