• 9Feb 08

  This is wii-diculous!

  With Valentines day comming up I figured I'd go pick up a Wii for my girlfriend in yet another attempt to win her over (excluding DDR-anything) to the finer points of gaming. I hadn't realy had a good reason to get one, but I figure with all the good games lining up to come out on the Wii I figure its time I did.

  It was a good time to get it, its past the holiday season and its been over a year since release date so I wouldn't have to deal with those annoying shortages. Much to my surprise, nobody and I do mean nobody in the greater New York area has one. I've called every Gamestop, Best Buy, Target and Circuit City within 50 miles, and not a single one had in stock. Long story short its now week two and I still havn't had any luck. Now, I could go into the finer points of the reasons why Nintendo can't keep up with the demand (and my assumption that they must be loosing money to people who settle for a system they didn't want because they can't find a Wii) but that's actually not my problem. My problem is, in the search for the elusive Wii I've come across the ridiculous numbers of price jackers as well as the dreaded "bundle package".

  One of the few places where a Wii was in stock, Toys R Us, sold the Wii for $550 bundled with 5 games. Now, I didn't want to make this kind of investment so quickly, but even so I guess it wouldn't be so bad if it say a) had good games bundled or b) had an extra controller/nun-chuck which is essential for the Wii. Instead, what we get with the bundle are such hits as "The Golden Compass", "The Bee Movie Game", "Transformers: The Game" and "Meet the Robinsons".

  I understand the Wii is a little rare even up to now, but words can't describe how sad it is when legitimate retailers force people who want to buy one to also buy the bundles of failed games that now line their storage rooms.

  Fathom

  • Posted Feb 9, 2008 7:42 pm GMT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 8Nov 07

  SimCity: Refugee Camp!

  "Video games have never done anything good for humanity." That was what my friend used to win his argument. We have been having a particularly heated debate about the validity of video games as a medium. As a long time gamer I defended my passion fiercely, and through it all I had managed to win almost every point in our little debate. He had conceded that video games were a valid form of art, expression, storytelling and (dare I say it for fear of the waves of MMO players who will never see the light of day) even social interactions. But when it came down to it, I could not think of anything significant that my lifelong passion has ever really contributed to society. Every other medium, from TV, movies, music and books have been tools for raising social awareness, promoting causes and doing good in the world. For all its popularity (67-69% of American heads of households play video game and the industry has made over 7.4 billion in 2006) [ESA Statistic], the video game media has been largely devoid of anything socially beneficial. Why has it taken so long?

  TV, movies and music have been hard at work raising awareness of numerous social and political problems around the world, and their impact is undeniable. Movies like "Tears of The Sun" and "Blood Diamonds" as well as the recent "Instant Karma: Save Darfur" initiative supported by numerous leading music artists have brought the numerous situations in Africa past and present to light. Similar examples involving other issues are numerous, from global warming to equal rights, but all result in having some impact on a social, political or global issue. The ESA reports that the average gamer is 33 years old and has been playing for 12+ years, so with such a significant audience, why has the gaming industry been almost nonexistent in making an impact. Surely it can't simply be a "money" issue, all the movies I previously mentioned went on to do very well in the box office and grossed far beyond studio expectations.

  Of course that is not to say that gamers have not been active in fostering a positive impact in the world, there are numerous charities and groups of gamers out there making a difference. Penny Arcade's Childs Play (http://www.childsplaycharity.org/) and the ESA's "Nite To Unite For Kids" and others have been doing great work for children and have really shown the compassion and caring of the gaming community. It's not the gamers that are lacking, but the games themselves. Is the idea of a game that may potentially highlight a problem in the world that farfetched?

  Along with the many SimCity fans out there, I anxiously await SimCity: Societies. But imagine for a moment if the next SimCity would be SimCity: Refugee Camp. Sound interesting? Running a refugee camp is undoubtedly hard work, perhaps harder than running a relatively peaceful city. You would have to worry about sanitation, food, health care all while managing a tight budget from funding. Crime and peacekeeping in the camp would function much like any other city, and provide a challenge in that personnel to police the camp would be limited. If that isn't challenging enough, you would also have to worry about natural disasters, floods, storms, the occasional militia raids, even unintentional casualties caused by forces fighting nearby. Done right, such a game could be quite entertaining and of course provide monetary returns for the creator, all the while raising awareness of the real refugee camps that litter the globe.

  So why hasn't such a game been made? I certainly don't know. But I certainly challenge the video game industry to simply try it. The result might just surprise them.

  PS: While on the subject; this Holliday season, while stocking up on all the new releases, take time to donate old games or even some new ones to a video game charity. Show them gamers care!

  - Fathom

  • Posted Nov 8, 2007 2:17 pm GMT
  • Category: Editorial
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