Many adults look down at the concept of play. One only need look to a married couple; one in which one spouse plays video games and the other does not to see how “playing” is viewed as an immature pastime. Play, however, has existed throughout the history of society. The reason for play’s lengthy existence is its ability to inculcate societal values and teach the individual proper rights and behaviors that are important to the societal group.
Read MoreVideo games as social platforms
People are quickly finding out that being isolated from the rest of the world kinda sucks. Yes we have social media, but traditional forms of social media lack presence. The method of communication in social media is asynchronous—you say something and it could be hours or days before I read what you said. Video games provide a way to reduce feelings of isolation and build community even when separated by half the world.
Read MoreCo-op video games
A couple of weeks ago I spoke at a conference about the power of virtual teams. I used several examples I’ve learned from video gamers to make various points about working in virtual teams. To my surprise, the majority of my audience was interested in the relationship between video gamers and virtual teams.
Read MoreSpace Invaders and arcades
I was thinking about the first video game I ever played. Reaching far back into my memory, the one I recall is Space Invaders. Not the stand-up arcade one, but the small handheld version. Yeah, that’s right, there were small handheld video games back then.
Read MoreVideo games and physical violence
There is an increasing amount of rhetoric with regards to linking video games to physical violence. This rhetoric increased because of recent mass shootings here in the States. Is there such a link?
Initial studies into the phenomenon (video games and physical aggressive tendencies) showed a correlation. Some studies showed causation—that is, some studies showed that playing violent video games lead to an increase in aggressive tendencies.
Read MoreWorld of Warcraft: Classic
At the end of this month we get to return to Azeroth as it once was. I’m excited.
Last week I played in the stress test. I created several different characters and ran around for a few hours, doing quests, and remembering what it was like to play WoW for the first time. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the old game. I didn’t just like it, I loved it.
Read MoreThe Secret World Legends: A Mini Review
I originally tried The Secret World (TSW) at launch. I had mixed emotions about the game. The setting intrigued me, but I felt the gameplay was lacking. I think I got to about level 10 before I just couldn't stomach the gameplay anymore and quit playing. However, now Funcom has re-imagined TSW into The Secret World Legends (TSWL). I think the use of "legends" is only to differentiate between the two game mechanics.
Read More"Her Story" is fantastic
I saw this game a couple of weeks ago on Steam and decided to try it out. I enjoy games that push the medium into new and interesting territories and this game does exactly that.
Read MoreBrothers: A Tale of Two Sons
I finished playing this game today. Took about 3 hours to get through the entire game. Not sure if that's fast or not. Personally I felt the game was a perfect length.
I'm sure there are countless reviews one can find on the Internet about this game. This isn't meant to be a review, but rather my thoughts on how the game affected me. To say that I wasn't moved by this game would be an understatement. From the opening scene the game grabbed me on an emotional level and never let go until the final credits rolled.
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