Nintendo's 3DS

Welcome back to the ever changing and evolving world of videogames.  For those of you who are new to this series of blogs I recommend you start with the first blog by selecting it from the right column or clicking here.  Today’s blog will be about Nintendo’s latest handheld device: the 3DS.  If you have young (or older) children that play games you most likely heard about its upcoming release followed by a puppy-eyed “Can I have one, pleeeeeeease.”   

Update to the blog below:  according to Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter although the "sell-out" some people had predicted at launch didn't happen (far from it) Nintendo still sold 500,000 3DS units in March, besting the Xbox 360 and Wii, with 480,000 and 410,000 unit sales, respectively. There since have been rumors of children getting sick while playing games in 3D mode and of record returns but these are just that, "rumors" even though Nintendo did add a disclaimer for very young children to restrict their onscreen time and take breaks.  Encouring children to take breaks from their games is good advice 3D effect or not.  

Read moreThe system will launch for $249.99 on March 27.  Not cheap considering that it is a handheld device and about the same price as an 4G Xbox 360.  So what is all the buzz about and why were Nintendo fans willing to stand in line for over an hour at E3 (the videogame’s industry’s main trade show) to see the first demo?  The main feature players are excited about is the ability to view games and movies in 3D without glasses.  Having seen the demos I must admit that the effect is surprisingly good, at least as good as the 3D movies I’ve seen with glasses.  As with any 3D effect the angle at which you view the image will affect the quality of the experience but it’s definitively fun to watch. 

If your kid already has a DS or DSi you will be familiar with some of the features like the dual screen (a display screen on top and a touch screen on the bottom) the mic, inner and outer camera and Wifi access but some of the existing features will be enhanced.  The outer camera for example will consists of two cameras that can take 3D pictures and footage.  As mentioned in addition to playing games the 3DS will also launch with series of 3D movies including titles from Disney, Dreamworks and Warner Bros that can be downloaded through Nintendo’s eShop.

Motion and Gyro sensor similar to the ones included in most smart phones will allow games that support the feature to react to the way the device is tilted and moved.  A useful feature is the backward compatibility with most of the DS and DSi titles although these will of course only be displayed in 2D.

There will be two colors available at launch in North America (cosmo black and aqua blue) although I’m sure that more will follow as well as some special edition releases.

For more detailed information and demos of the features go to Nintendo’s site at http://www.nintendo.com/3ds/hardware.

The decision to buy or not to buy will of course depend on your budget and how loud and insistent your kid’s pleas are.  Be ready to open your purse a little wider for all the upcoming accessories and the actual games and movies.  Be aware though that some of the games that will be offered at launch or shortly afterwards are geared towards an older audience.  It being Nintendo you will of course find a variety of kid-friendly titles and characters including Mario, Zelda, cute Dragons and Dogs and Cats but you’ll also find some more grizzly selections like Resident Evil or Dead or Alive Dimensions,  the kind of horror survival game where zombies attack you with chainsaws and are blown to smithereens by your character unless they disembowel you first.

You’ll find a list of currently announced titles with some basic information about them as well as some footage on Nintendo’s site at http://www.nintendo.com/3ds/games/. So it’s worth doing your homework before you go to the store. The ESRB ratings are not included on Nintendo's site yet but for the more mature ones you’ll see the disclaimer stating that some of the content might not be appropriate for young children.  Keep in mind that some titles will have downloadable demos you can review before you buy them.

I’d be interested to know if any of you owned a N64 and played some of the resurrected oldies but goodies like Zelda: Ocarina of time.  Shoot me a line if you did and let me know if you are planning on playing the upcoming 3D version (although I belive that the release date for the Zelda game has not been announced yet)

Will the 3D effect get fans running to the stores at the end of march?  All will depend on the quality of the games that will be available and how effectively they will utilize the 3D effect.  If done well it can truly enhance the gameplay but if done badly it can hinder it.  To address these concerns Nintendo is including a depth slider that will allow players to adjust the intensity of the 3D effect and even completely turn it off.  Wise choice indeed. 

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

One feature I am exited about is the ability to play Augmented Reality Games (see glossary).  Although the current lineup is small there is some great potential for future titles to let us experience our environment in a whole new way. 

For my upcoming blogs I will be interviewing videogame producers, artists, writers and executives who are parents themselves and let them share their tips with you.  As always feel free to contact me with your comments or questions in the meantime and let me know if the 3DS is on your shopping list.

The World of WoW

Welcome back everyone. As you could see in my previous blog the world of online gaming can be daunting but I hope that the information I shared gave you a starting point and you can always email me with further questions at dorianrichard@gmail.com.

Now if you thought that the multiplayer online games I mentioned were complex then welcome to the most complex online galaxy and the largest MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game – can you say that fast) of all, World of Warcraft affectionately referred to as WoW. Created by Blizzard, a developer with previous hit titles like Warcraft: Orcs and Humans and the Diablo series, it became an instant success when released in 2004. With over 12 million subscribers it currently has the largest subscription base of any game and even holds the Guiness World Record for it.

As a heads-up, the rumors that Blizzard is working on a new MMO have been confirmed (working title “Titan”) and a lot of players are going to be excited when more details are available although it’s likely to be a year or two before the game comes out.

At its base World of Warcraft is a vast onlineworld where players create characters, combat monsters, complete quests and interact with NPC’s (non-player characters) and other players. Although the goal is to level up your character to gain new abilities WoW has a very social component that makes the game so popular. Players can complete quests and defeat opponents together, trade items, chat and banter and even fight each other to gain recognition. And here lies the rub. These interactions can vary very widely depending on the players involved. WoW is officially rated T for Teen but as with any game that offers an online component the rating only applies to the content created by the developer ie the graphics, in-game character dialogue etc. It can not rate the kind of interaction provided by real life players through chat and other features. The game comes with parental controls to filter out some of the more offensive or explicit language but as you’ll see shortly these filters are far from perfect due to the very creative language used by some of the players. There are some additional useful filters though like limiting the length of the sessions (some gamers can be pretty obsessive and play all night/day long).

If you sit in on a chat session with your kid chances are you won’t have a clue what he or she is talking about unless you are familiar with MMORPG’s. Let me give you an example from a WoW message board as to how technical some of the lingo can get.

Question posted on message board:
I currently have the 4 piece ilvl 232 set for my resto druid - Malfurion's Conquest gear. My legs were from the Lasherweave set from VOA. The other day I got the Lashweave gloves from VOA. So now I have a question, do i replace my Malfurion's ilvl 232 gloves with the ilvl 251 Lasherweave gloves?

I lose the T9 set bonus of crits on rejuv, but gain the improved wild growth from the Lasherweave set. Other than the set bonus, the stats are much better on the Lasherweave gloves, so I'm leaning towards taking those. But the crit on rejuv is pretty nice.

Answer:
1) How much of your healing does the 4pT9 bonus make up? If it's less then 5% or so you can probably make that up in the stat increase and the bonus to WG (that's assuming you're using it on or near CD each time it's up as a good tree should).

2) How close are you to the haste cap? Trading out the crit for haste on the new gloves is a nice big chunk which should move you closer if you aren't there already.

Checking at your armory it looks you've already decided to go with the 2pT9/10 bonuses. Probably a good move overall. Haste is still a bit low but that will come with upgrades from frost gear.I would suggest going for the the Vestments of Spruce and Fir as your next upgrade if you're looking for more haste. It will be the biggest haste boost out of any other pieces you can buy along with the increase in other stats. The crafted boots are also an excellent upgrade if you have the resources as are the ones that drop from Deathwhisper 10m.

Confused? Don’t worry, not all the chat is that technical but it shows you that some of the players are very savvy. WoW players use a lot of acronyms and abbreviations influenced by texting. Here’s an example of a more generic in-game player exchange. I added some explanations in brackets and left the typos:

Bimle [ Longberry] says: Straight from the lush forests of Elwynn, get your fresh fruit right here. (Players can trade and sell items. This is a large part of the WoW economy)
[Trade] [Shadowpains]: u don’t
[Trade] [Shadowpains]: that’s fkin classic (don’t know if this instance would be caught by the filters)
[Trade] [Catastrophe]: hit/camp and that will do it (player giving advice to another player. Most players will be friendly when newbies need help.)
[Trade] [Shadowpains]: -_-* (emoticon usually depicting boredom or some kind of flat expression but used in a variety of ways)

Not only players can use some rather crude humor at times. GM’s (Game Masters) who are available for chat when a player is stuck or has a question but also patrol the lands to detect players who cheat or harass others are known for their racier jokes. Here’s an excerpt from a chat between a GM and a player. Warning: If you are offended by crude humor please skip this paragraph.

BLIZZ [Nympheren] whispers (BLIZZ referring to the developer’s name Blizzard and identifying the GM): question: How do Tauren (a bull-like race) hide in the forests?
To BLIZZ [Nympheren]: Not a clue
BLIZZ [Nympheren] whispers: they paint their balls red and hide in apple trees. Question: How did the gnome die?
To BLIZZ [Nympheren]: Hmm…Not sure
BLIZZ [Nympheren] whispers: A:Picking Apples ;P (silly face sticking tongue out)
To BLIZZ [Nympheren]: LOL

Some chats have strong sexual undertones. Again, please skip the next paragraph if you find this kind of language offensive. I am posting it here so you have an idea as to the kind of banter children could encounter.

[Squall]: I slowly remove your t9 chestpiece. (t9 refers to Tier 9 armor which has unique set bonuses for each class – don’t worry if you don’t understand but it means that this is a high level player talking) I breathe softly upon your Buccaneer Shirt, eagerly awaiting whats underneath.
[Squall]: then ..all of a sudden, you morph into a BEAR
[Squall]: I frantically work at the buttons of my [Fleshwerk Leggins], eager to take advantage of the lusciously soft ursan derrier presented to me.
[Squall]: My pantaloons removed, I step into stealth, so you can only feel my body warmth as I work my way around
[Squall]: for a rear AMBUSH
[Squall]: I CRIT(meaning the player did a critical attack that deals additional damage).
[Squall]: I hear you roar loudly, I put that +5% crit to use as I ravage you relentlessly from behind.
[Squall]: I stop and apply poison to my “dagger”
and on it goes… This chat took place on the [lookingforplayers] channel so an open channel accessible to anyone.

Now to end on a humorous note. Not all players are as smart as the example given from the message board.

[Wushi]: don’t have internet? xD (emoticon that represents a big smile with eyes closed)
[Lindenbratt]: mom banned it couse I watched porn once
[Wushi]: haha
[Bjarkov]: WTF?! xD xD
[Lindenbratt]: so now I cant go on internet explorer
[Lindenbratt]: :(
[Wushi]: lol
[Bjarkov] whispers: this dude is screwed…

Some inadvertent humor:
[Tylmarande]: Looking for a female gnome, you must be 18+ (refers to the character level, not the age)
[Tylmarande]: And come to think of it, that sounded nasty. It’s for an achievement.

And another classic one:
[Trade] [Ballons]: WHERE ARE VENDOR FOR HEIRLOOM??
[Trade] [Zhiva]: In the ALLCAPS city!
[Ballons] whispers: WHERE is allcaps city??

The examples listed show that filters that catch key words can not always catch the kind of more creative exchanges going on. So be aware of it if your child plays WoW. Due to its huge popularity WoW has also attracted its share of predators. I have not specifically heard of sexual predators although I would like in any online interaction warn your child not to give out any personal information and would be very cautious if they “befriend” a player outside the game. There are two settings for players to be added to a friends list. One is for in-game friends only. This list does not share any kind of personal data about the players. Players can chat and “party” together (meaning they can fight together in a party/group where experience and loot are shared) but only know each other by their character’s name and whatever else they are willing to share through chat. There is another friend setting though which allows players to connect outside the game through what is referred to as Real ID. Players who share their “real ID” can chat in any Blizzard game (not just WoW) but it means that their real name and updates are shared across each other’s friends list. Make sure your children only select this option with players they know in real life. As in any “world” you will also find scammers who will try cheat players through options like the in-game mail system. They do this by sending an in-game mail with some kind of item attached (players can exchange items that way) but put a cash on delivery tag on the item meaning that the player will get charged for it if she retrieves it. Blizzard is working hard on ending these kind of scams but alas, crooks can be creative so as in a real-world scenario teach your children to be cautious opening mails from strangers and especially from giving any kind of personal information.

Other scams I've seen include requests for account information sent by email stating that your account might have been hacked.  As in any e-mails tell your kids not to follow any links but log in directly through the official WoW website if they need to check or update their accounts.

This said WoW is overall a safe and enjoyable experience. If you are interested in checking it out for yourself you can download a free 10 day trial at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/trial/If you do, you can find me on Darrowmere (the server name). My name is Mytra and I am a Hunter. Please stop by and say hi!

PC games and online interaction

Welcome back. If you’re new to this series of blogs I would recommend you start with the first blog by selecting it from the archives on the right side and read them in chronological order.

Now that we’ve discussed the options to restrict online interaction for console games let’s move on to the world of PC gaming. A word of caution: you might be tempted to disable as many options as possible to feel safe but some of the options can really enhance the online experience. In certain team based games for example chat allows players to strategize to defeat the opponent. In my opinion it is better to educate children than blindly disable features. Review the features available for each game and decide accordingly. Some of the most explicit language can be read/heard in first person shooters due to their fast pace and extremely competitive nature. Just read some of the comments left about the last Medal of Honor iteration and you’ll quickly get a sense of how these kids talk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We-ejhDB1jE. These games are mostly rated M due to their graphic single player content (as one of the gamers states: “This game has honestly scary graphic, i mean it look's like it was recorded by a real US soldier. Except of the blood that appears on the screen when you are getting hit. =)”) but you will find even pre-teens playing them online. A rather crude comment from the post points to this fact: “this is f**** (explicitly spelled out on the comment) legit unlike xbox games that are invaded by ten year olds and fatass nerds with no lives”. I don’t know if this is because of parents not being aware of the rating or them not understanding the nature of these games either way I hope that you will be better able to evaluate them before you buy them by taking into consideration the rating, the descriptors and the more detailed content descriptions available on the ESRB site and on the Disney site I mentioned.

I would also be cautious with user created content which is particularly applicable for PC games but here too this can be a great addition as some fans are truly creative. It does take some research to determine the kind of user created content available and so far I have not found a site that reviews mods (modules i.e. levels or adventures created by fans) regarding their age appropriateness. Don’t panic though. Very few games ship with complex tools that allow players to create entire adventures like I mentioned for Neverwinter Nights. If they offer this ability this will definitively be called out since it is a big selling point. Most games that do have include tools allow players to simply create maps or modify their characters.

Back to online gaming. I will start with premium PC games sold in stores or directly over the internet as a downloadable version. Free to play or “freemium games” that come as free downloadable versions with the option to later upgrade or buy special items (characters, skins, levels etc.) will be discussed in a later blog. I’m mentioning this here though so you’re aware that your child might have access to free games that are more adult oriented. Some require the user to input their date of birth but there is no verification as of the date entered.
Although the death of PC games has long been announced they are still popular, especially amongst hard core gamers. There are a couple of reasons for this:

1. The access to a keyboard and mouse allows much more complex interaction than a controller. This is especially true for complex games like RPG’s (Role Playing Games) or RTS’ (Real Time Strategy Games). Many gamers will also agree that playing shooters or FPS (First Person Shooters) with a mouse is much more accurate than with a joystick. Note that you can plug a keyboard into the PS3 for games that support it. The Xbox 360 needs an adaptor.

2. Tools for modders (players who create their own modules for a title) are mainly created for PC games.

At times the world of PC gaming seems to resemble the Wild West. Although PC games sold in retail stores go through the ESRB rating process there is no real quality control or standard similar to the ones used for console games. When a publisher creates a game to be released on the Xbox 360, Wii or PS3 he has to go through Microsoft’s, Nintendo’s or Sony’s certification process. This process requires the publisher to comply with specific standards, terminology and quality controls. But when it comes to PC’s anyone can release a game, no matter how bad or buggy. Not to imply that console games are never bad but the console manufacturers will have a say in the quality of the design (they can reject a concept if they don’t feel that the game is competitive), the developers have to be pre-approved and the game will at least be tested thoroughly for bugs.

In order to emulate some kind of “quality control and standards” Microsoft launched Games for Windows in 2006 to coincide with the release of Vista. The games that went through the Games for Windows certification can be identified by the Games for Windows logo. One of the required features is the support of the parental controls and family settings included in Vista and Windows 7. These settings allow parents to limit a child’s gametime, set the maximum ratings for games and disable features like chat. A word of caution: when windows does not recognize a game’s rating it does not block the game. You will have to do so manually. You can find the step by step instructions to set up the available controls at:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Set-up-Parental-Controls
Note that you will need to create a user account on the computer for each child to apply the settings.

For PC games with online components that are not part of the Games for Windows program some of the parental controls might not work but there are some ways to evaluate a game before buying it.

- Start with the ESRB rating for the single player experience.
- Look at the available online features. Since these are selling points they are usually called out. A note on chat: chat is most commonly used in first person shooters and MMO’s. Especially in shooters being able to talk to your teammates or “dissing” your opponents by speaking into a mike instead of getting fragged while you are typing makes a huge difference. Some games have build-in chat abilities but there is also software available like “teamchat” that allows gamers to chat in games that don’t come with it. Although I have not tested this, parental controls might not work with some of these programs.
- Demos: some PC games offer free demos which will include a sample level or limited game time.
- Some MMORPG’s (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) like WoW (World of Warcraft) offer free trials for a limited time. I will discuss WoW in more detail in my next blog since this is still the most popular MMO game. It will give you an idea of the kind of interaction available and the kind of language used by players.
- View footage of the game on youtube by searching by the title. As mentioned a lot of players will pots footage of their “best” or “favorite” moments.

The key points to take away from this blog are:

- Some of the most sexually explicit and offensive language is used in First Person Shooters and MMORPG’s. These games are usually already rated M.
- As in console games you have the ability to restrict certain features like voice chat but there is software that might not be blocked by this feature and some games allow players to chat by using the keyboard which also wouldn’t be disabled by the parental controls. Some games like WoW offer filters to catch some of the most offensive terms but as you’ll see in my next blog the language can be pretty creative and suggestive while using common game terminology that would not be filtered.
- If the game is highly competitive in nature chances are that chats will include a fair amount of “dissing” and explicit language.

Join me next week for a peek into the world of WoW (World of Warcraft), a world filled with ogres, mages and elves, where players can role play, combine forces to defeat common foes or fight each other. A world so popular that its economy has extended outside the game and in-game characters or items are being sold on e-bay. Until then I wish you and your families a very happy New Year.