With changing times, everything around the world and around us is changing. Everything is available at a click of a button. With these changing times, there has been lot of changes in children’s toys too. I remember when we were young we use to play more of outdoor games, but with the launch of new Wii and playstation games you can play the same games which once upon a time were only to be played outdoors at the comfort of your AC room. First the books were the only source of knowledge. Now we have CD’s and DVD’s which have made learning so simple and attractive for small kids. Kids of 3-4 years are on the computers playing there compact disks and learning.
It is very good that we are advancing and we have all high tech gadgets, but some where I feel that we are loosing our kid’s innocence at a very early age. That’s my view, what’s yours.
A few articles back I spoke about Virtual Living, I decided to take a better look at this business and here’s what I learnt. There are many virtual world platforms today. The biggest commercial start to virtual gathering was the computer game World of Warcraft. For those who don’t know, World of Warcraft is the fourth iteration of the game Warcraft. It made its first appearance in ‘Warcraft: Orcs & Humans’ in 1994. From simple multiplayer online games it evolved to massively multiplayer online games (MMOG). With ten million gamers online it could be no lesser than that.
Another game which started off offline and simple was ‘The Sims’ in 2000 which was evolved from ‘Sim City’ in which one could build and run a city. In ‘The Sims’ you could build and run a family. Groundbreaking as it was, it took some time to catch on. Namely, more widespread use of computers and better broadband internet availability. ‘Alphaworld’ started in 1995 is said to be the grand-daddy of virtual wording. Still running strong, all names are site linked, hit them to see more.
The most recent and biggest news item was ‘Second Life’. As the name implies you can create an online avatar of yourself in anyway you wanted. Hell, you could switch genders online to offline! Again, a huge hit. Why? Because it allows you to do everything you can do in real life and lets you do things you want to but can’t do in real life. However far your imagination can go. Run a museum if you want or a secret alter ego, anything. Linden dollars in ‘Second Life’ convert in the ratio 250 Linden to 1 US dollar. Money making opportunities can be created.
Then with ‘Entropia’ making news shortly after, one found people buying ‘virtual property’ with real money. Big money at that. One instance was 100,000$ forked up for a piece of online property in ‘Entropia’.
People doing quite the same thing there as in real life. Creating opportunities and making money. There are people developing property and availing to user paid-services. Think for a moment; A few million people logged on. Charging them even a dollar each is raking it in huge. Word is the biggest name in virtual worlds today is ‘Habbo Hotel’ but who’s to really say, there are so many other such platforms in the pipeline we need to wait to see which comes out on top.
We also have today the ‘3D camera’. What it does is digitally map people’s gestures and posture into a 3D world. The technology can also track facial gestures and match them onscreen in real time. It can also read the user’s body gestures to let them navigate and edit within the environment. Quite cool eh? I’d certainly think so.
Of you readers, the ones using gaming consoles should find this article interesting, it will answer much asked questions and for those know not much should find it interesting nonetheless.
The warring factions are the Playstation 3, Microsoft Xbox and the Nintendo wii. It is worth mentioning the personal computing gamers are a large bunch as well. So how this works is these console manufacturers tie up with game production houses. These production houses then release blockbuster titles exclusively for the respective consoles only, hence getting gamers to buy these consoles for those games. Each console is popularized by exclusive runaway success games and has subsequently drawn their own console gamer following.
The Sony Playstation had ruled the market for recent times, the Nintendo had its own following but all that changed with Microsoft entering the gaming market. Microsoft upped the notch, released its console earlier than the Sony Playstation with some good games and made headway before the releases of Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3.
Today there is a lot of speculation about which console will come out on top. That depends on the content. Gamers want good games to play on their consoles. Aside from consoles only appealing to gamers these consoles today aim to be the center of digital entertainment systems. They are high-quality movie players. One can use them to access online content such as on-demand TV shows, movie previews and everything else the World Wide Web has to offer. For gamer son by day and sports highlights archive for dad by night. Or for that matter anyone, on-demand TV is now the most convenient and best way to watch TV.
Take this to thought, some approximate stats, 13 million Sony Playstation 3 units were sold, 19 million Xbox units have been sold. Now will any gaming production house restrict themselves to 19 million or be open to over 40 million potential users?? Enter: Multi-Platform Gaming. It has begun; the biggest gaming houses have started releasing games Multi-Platform.
Nicole tagged me to participate in this game. She had been tagged by another blog and she tagged me in turn. The game goes like this: Nicole got tagged to do a post about a six word memoir, a kind of life motto if you will (turns out Nicole could not decide on just one) and then she tags five other people to do just such a post. And then I tag five other people and so on. It’s like chain blog rather like chain mail, only more interesting!
So I thought and thought and thought what my six word memoir is? And only six words? So I actually sat with a paper and pencil and this is what I came up with, which sums up my dictum in life at this time: PLAY MORE GAMES, READ MORE BOOKS.
Now I picked this one because it is quite all encompassing. How all encompassing? I’ll explain. If followed in action and in spirit, this one commandment will take care of your physical, mental and spiritual well being! Still skeptical? Let me elaborate:
When I say ‘play more games’ I mean engage in brisk, vigorous physical activity which is obviously good for us and our bodies. Also if you do get into the habit of playing a game, you get into the habit of being active, socializing with a particular set of likeminded people and also engaging in healthy rivalry or competition with an eye to personal or team betterment. The sense of team spirit fostered by playing a game is also a healthy outcome!
When I say ‘read more books’ I mean that I continue to learn new things, expand my world view and broaden my mind, increase the sum of my knowledge and grow as a person and as a human being! This increases my spiritual awareness of the world around me as well. Books not only increase the sum of your knowledge they also help you grapple with issues that you face in your life. If you turn to books for recreation, you stay away from the idiot box, which is a bonus!
So what do you think? Like my six word Memoir? Oh! Almost forgot: these are the people I will be tagging:
Did anyone think such a day would come? Gaming consoles has strictly been kids only territory. I beg your pardon, kids and some adults. But today with the Nintendo Wii all is set to change. Have a look at the attached video.
For the first time in known history a gaming console helps in losing weight then to turn people into (couch) potatoes! I think its one of the best innovations of the technology era! With computers and new gadgetry making people more lethargic this console keeps them physically active.
Tackling obesity, A whole new dimension to keeping fit. I’d have never thought of this, but all those housewife’s who barely get time off to spend on their health, which is a great excuse to get fat for one; instead of spending their afternoons watching soap operas they could play a game of tennis! On the same note all of us who would really like to play some sport but our lifestyles don’t allow it this are quite perfect! Not evening leaving the living room! Burning over half the amount of calories they would burn in a regular game of tennis. Which is great.. You could if you want leave the AC on and not burn any calories, keep the weight you know, one never knows when it could come in handy, if by some chance you need to hibernate for the winter …
Oh come on! I’m only joking, all you people who need to get fit.. Get moving!! Click here for a Wii weight loss study link.
Looking at this console if either you are a youngster or close to the reaper, its all benefits. It’s much cheaper and tiny compared to a home gym, for starters it doesn’t take up a whole room! See that picture for instance, that old lady playing bowling, that photo is from an old age home, fantastic isn’t it? For the youngsters too instead of wasting away in front of a pc or their televisions this is way healthier. If it is for all of them it certainly is for you too!
evawhite on December 1st, 2008
A few articles back I spoke about 
Another game which started off offline and simple was ‘The Sims’ in 2000 which was evolved from 
The most recent and biggest news item was ‘Second Life’. As the name implies you can create an online avatar of yourself in anyway you wanted. Hell, you could switch genders online to offline! Again, a huge hit. Why? Because it allows you to do everything you can do in real life and lets you do things you want to but can’t do in real life. However far your imagination can go. Run a museum if you want or a secret alter ego, anything. Linden dollars in 
Then with 
We also have today the 
