Daddy Gamer

The guys at PennyArcade.com have organized a great charity event benefiting terminally ill kids.  As a father and a gamer, this is something worth getting involved in.  Donating and giving can be easily done by purchasing toys, games and other items online.  The items are directly sent to the Child’s Play hospital of your choice.  You can also donate cash via PayPal or give the proceeds from your eBay sales directly to Child’s Play.

The only disappointing part of this is that I found out about Child’s Play because I like surfing the net for gamer-related stories.  I don’t think mainstream media has produced any stories about gamers giving close to $2 million to Child’s Play.  So far, mainstream media portrays gamers as a bunch of ill-mannered video game addicts who hate the light of day and are training themselves to hurt others.  Let’s change the perception.  Let’s get involved in Child’s Play.  Spread the word.

Consumer alert!  Consumer alert!  Oh my!  CNN has just found out that when you stupidly swing the Wiimote with all your might the safety string breaks!  When you watch this CNN consumer alert, you’ll get a feeling there was a major issue with Nintendo’s Wii.  This goes in the “it’s common sense, moron” category.  Ironically, this piece also shows how much fun everyone is having when playing with the Wii.  Yes.  Even the bonehead reporter was giddy after playing Wii Sports.  Yet another reason not to watch cable TV.

Click here to see the video: CNN: Wii have a problem

There are no if’s or but’s about it; gaming on the Wii will change the way video games are played.  As a veteran video gamer, this is what I’ve been waiting for.  If you’re still stuck in the graphics debate then stop reading here.  I’ve turned blue saying that video gaming is not all about one element.  With that said, the graphics of Madden ‘07 is a little better than what you’d expect from a $250 new-gen system.  It’s above the PS2 but below the Xbox 360.

 It’s hard not to get excited about the use of the Wiimote+Nunchuk controllers in this game.  It felt weird and goofy at times as I flick my wrists, raise my arms and wave my hands to execute the different moves.  After a quick out-of-body trip, a found myself saying “this is awesome!”  I’ll get into details on my next post.  Please come back.

James Kim’s body was found today on Grants Pass in Oregon, WA.  Please read the story: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/06/BAKIM06.DTL

I had the privilege of working with James in San Francisco, CA.  We were both wide-eyed and excited about the possibilities of starting up a technology cable network called ZDTV.  I’ll remember James as a very intelligent, driven and confident man.  His personality and enthusiasm made grueling deadlines easier to absorb. 

James did what any responsible man and husband would do in the same condition; find a way to save your wife and kids even if it means your death.