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Tag Archive: Video game

What I want for Christmas, Geek-style!

Written on December 15, 2011 by Krisy in Editorial: My Rants and Raves, Game Reviews, Holiday Fun!

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So Christmas is coming up in like, 10 days. Oh, Boy! People keep asking me what I want for Christmas, so here is goes!

Any Shadowrun book! My Saturday gaming group just switched over to playing Shadowrun and I am hooked! I have the core book, but why just have that when there are SO many others to add cool stuff with! Shadowrun is a post-apocalyptic world set in Seattle (woot! woot!) and there is technology and magic involved and it’s pretty awesome! Think Ghost in the Shell.
Disneyland Adventures Kinect Game! I tried this game out at this year’s (2011) PAX Prime and it was a lot of fun! Now, this isn’t just a game for me, either, it’s for the whole family, so I like that too! This game was a ton of fun, because you got to travel around the park, meet up with characters and have a lot of fun! My 7 year old will love this game too!
Sesame Street’s Once Upon a Monster! Okay, again I know, a kid game, but it’s the only game that my 2 & 1/2 year old can really attempt to play for the Kinect and she wants to play SO badly! Sometimes, watching your kids have fun with a video game is a gift enough! This game will teach Sarah to make up stories and she can interact with her favorite characters, Elmo, Cookie Monster and Abby Cadaby! Every time she sees the commercial for this, she goes nuts!
The Hunger Games series. Okay, so I really just need the last book, but if you haven’t read them, you should! This series is the first in a long time to really captivate me, and it’s a kid/teen series too. I am not a big fan of this demographic when it comes to novels, but this series hooked me. Plus there is the movie version of the first book coming out in March. Check out the trailer!
Any Terry Prachett Discworld book. I have played the game and it was fun, so when I found out that it was based on a series of books, I got very excited!
My friends and family to be happy. (I know, it’s a little Miss America sounding!) My friends and I have had a crazy year and I just want it to end on a good note!

So whether I get any of these things or not, I hope that I helped you find a few gift ideas and I hope that most of all you enjoy Christmas or Hanukkah with your friends and family. The most important gift to me is seeing my friends and family happy!

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Raising Nerdy Kids Part 1 of 3

Written on March 18, 2011 by Krisy in Game Reviews, Hey Mommy!!!, Kids are Cool

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So, the nerd-core community has gotten a lot of flak about kids and nerd-core. “Video games are violent and lead to obesity!” “Cosplay is evil! Kids shouldn’t dress up in those costumes!” “Comics are violent and not helping kids learn to read!”

I could go on, but I think you get the point. Let’s address these one by one, shall we? This first part of a three part series will address video games.

Video games are violent and lead to obesity. While there are violent video games out there, there are also ratings for each game. There is a great rating system put in place called the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board). This board determines each video game rating and they are accurate! They have a great website to check out each game and what the rating is as well, so if Johnny wants to play Gears of War 3, you can look it up and check it out on the site before you shell out the dough for it. Not sure what the ratings mean, their website also explains what each of the ratings mean. If you are a parent with any gaming console, you better know what these ratings mean! Don;t expect the people at the store to automatically help you on this one. I once saw a clerk suggest Gears of War 2 (which is rated M for Mature ages 17 +) to a mom of a 7 year old. I quickly told the lady about the rating system and suggested a much age appropriate game. Just because it’s the hottest game on the market, doesn’t mean it’s E for Everyone! With Sesame Street jumping on board with Nintendo for their Elmo’s A to Zoo Adventure and Cookie’s Counting Carnival , kids can actually learn in a fun new way!

As for the obesity issue, yes if you let your children game for over an hour a day they might get bigger! Of course if one sits in front of the TV for hours, the same is true. As parents, we need to have limits on how long our kids game for. Each of the gaming consoles have a timer set up on them that you can control how long your child can game for. (Hint: it’s usually in the system settings) Now there are days here at our house where we, as a family, will game all day. However that is few and far between.

With game systems like the Wii and the Xbox Kinect, people are getting their derrieres off the couch to play and I happily applaud both Nintendo and Microsoft on this one! One of Sophia’s (my 6 year old) favorite game is the Zumba game for the Kinect. She loves it! Whenever Brad (hubby) or I do a workout with the Wii or the Kinect, Sophia is right there with us doing it too!

So to wrap part 1 up in a neat little bow, parents need to realize that it is their job to watch the ratings on games and to make sure that their kids get plenty of fresh air and healthy food. Playing video games isn’t a bad thing, but it can become one if not supervised. So, please if you hear someone saying things like video games are bad, please stop to reconsider.

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Major Motivation

Written on January 7, 2009 by Krisy in Television (doesn't rot your brain)

Normally, I would talking about video games, movies and etc. But I need to take a moment to talk about something that is far more important. Your health.

After watching just the first half hour of the new season of the Biggest Loser, I have already purged 95% of the candy and crap food in our house. Watching Jerry from the white team pass out after doing his own workout that he came up with was scary. I am five months pregnant and am working out (mild workouts) when I can, but I had some weight to lose before that, about 20 pounds. I lost 12 pounds due to extreme morning sickness and am at an okay weight right now, even for being pregnant.

But let’s face it, gamers are not usually known for their physicques. We’ve all heard the stereotypes, that we are lazy and we just sit on the couch drinking energy drinks and gaming all night. Whether these stereotypes are true for you or not, make sure that you are getting some exercise and eating healthy. If not for yourself, then for the thought that if you don’t take care of yourself, what bitchin games are you going to miss out on when you are dead.

Sorry to sound doomsdayish or morbid, but it is January and people are thinking more about their health. I would just hate to see another person from our gaming community be lost.

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The insomniac Xbox experience

Written on December 24, 2008 by Krisy in All Things Geek, Hey Mommy!!!

: Image via CrunchBase

Don’t you love it when a.) you can’t get to sleep because of a great Xbox game or b.) you wake up and decide to play Xbox at 2am? I sure do. Although I love my Xbox, it has caused many a sleepless nights in my household and there are only two of us that currently play this console! Wait until my daughter is old enough to really game on it!

The days of warm milk and cookies to help you sleep are over, Xbox has soured the milk and burned the cookies for all of us Xbox users. You can usually tell us Xbox insomniacs when we get into to work the next day, you can find us mumbling about the level we were last playing (as if we were still in the game) or you will notice that we absently button mash while at our cubicles. We are also usually equipped with either a Red Bull, RockStar or a seriously huge Mountain Dew and are slugging away at it with no abandon.

So, for all you late night Xbox’ers or PS3′ers, for that matter, I toast you with my Mountain Dew here at 2:30am!

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Target needs to train about video games!

Written on December 23, 2008 by Krisy in All Things Geek, Editorial: My Rants and Raves

Why is it that whenever I go into Target’s Electronics department, I am surrounded by people who know nothing about video gaming? I am not talking about the customers here, I am talking about the employees. I am astounded at the fact that these employees can keep their jobs in a department where the video games are their primary source of income.

I have heard so many bad reviews or false advertisements about gaming consoles or games that, although, I am not a real outspoken person in real life, I feel that the ground will swallow me up and send me to Hell if I don’t say something! Even knowing the difference between what is age-appropriate or not would be useful knowledge.

I was in Target today getting some last minute shopping done, due to the almost three feet of snow at our house, when a lady asked the Target associate if Gears of War 2 was appropriate for a child. The associate said yes. ARE YOU FOR REAL?!?! I jumped in and asked how old the child was and what type of games he liked. The child was 6 years old. Needless to say, I advised the lady of the content of Gears and let her make the decision for herself. She decided that this was not a good idea. Then she asked if there were any other games that her son might like. The associate then named Bully as a great game. Are you serious?!?! The lady immediately looked at my shocked face and thanked him for his help. He then left. When he was out of earshot, she asked me for help. I had recommended Lego Star Wars, Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Batman, after actually asked her what where some of the things that her son liked to do or play with. She told me he liked Legos. Obvious choice here. Granted, the rating is E+10, on these video games, they are pretty age appropriate for him, according to his mom.

It doesn’t take much to recommend the right type of game for a person. Ask a few probing questions, find out what they like and it’s not too hard.

So, Target, train your people about video games!!! This is ridiculous, that is unless you want to endorse gamer blogs, then keep doing what you are doing, I don’t mind!

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Spike 2008 Video Game Award World Premieres

Written on December 15, 2008 by Krisy in All Things Geek, Television (doesn't rot your brain)

This year’s Video Game Awards hosted by Spike Tv launched nine World Premieres for new video games or video game add-ons. Here’s the recap:

Gears of War 2 Combustible Map Pack: This map pack had three maps that each looked amazing.This is now available for download through Xbox Live!

Flood: In this map, you have to get to the high ground and quick, because the walls will close in on you before you know it!
Gold Rush: This is a great multi-level map and provides lots of shooting fun.
Fuel Station: This is an objective-based map that requires that you secure the facility. Head for the high ground for the best shooting point.

UFC 2009 Undisputed: I’m not much a boxing game person, but the graphics and play looked good.

God of War: This game looked interesting, too early to say whether it’s a rent or buy.

Rock Band 2: Pearl Jam’s album, 10 will be available soon as downloadable content! Pearl Jam fans of the world, unite!

Dante’s Inferno: I have actually read The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri years ago. This game really does a great job of bringing Dante’s words to life. I will be honest however, I can’t tell from the preview of the main character is breaking out of the nine levels of hell, or breaking in. It doesn’t really matter, I’ll still put it in my Gamefly queue!

Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned: This newest installment in the Grand Theft Auto series will really appeal to fans of the FX show, Sons of Anarchy. In this game, you are part of a biker gang, doing the regular Grand Theft Auto style fighting, stealing and etc.

Brutal Legend: This game boasts the voice talent of Jack Black, who stars as the roadie who fights his way to the top. I’m not sure what I think about this game yet. It looked kinda dumb from a storyline point of view. The graphics looked pretty good, but as any gamer knows, graphics aren’t enough to save a game. I could be wrong, we’ll see after it releases.

Fight Night, Round 4: This game looked really cool. I am not a boxing game person, but I want to play Tyson vs. Ali. That is a fight I could get into!

Terminator: Salvation: This game is based on the upcoming movie of the same name starring Christian Bale as John Connor. Personally, I felt that this was a game that should have been released a few years ago! This game looked really good and the graphics looked great as well.

Mafia 2: This game is based in the 1950s and is a action-shooter. I couldn’t tell much about the storyline in the trailer shown, but the graphics were some of the best I have ever seen.

Watchmen: The World is Nigh: This game looked like your typical “based off of a movie” game. I am not really a big fan of games made after movies, the graphics usually aren’t that great, the storyline is redundant and it’s just not that fun to play. If you don’t believe me, start watching G4TV’s “XPlay“. Adam Sessler (who is the nicest person!) and Morgan Webb have a lot to say about them and it’s typically not good!

Those were all the World Premieres and I am most excited about the Gears of War 2 map pack, Pearl Jam’s album release for Rock Band 2 and Dante’s Inferno.

What do you think will be the next big game?

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Spike’s 2008 Video Game Awards Recap

Written on December 15, 2008 by Krisy in All Things Geek, Television (doesn't rot your brain)

This year’s Video Game Awards hosted by Spike TV were huge! There were some great names that won this year.

The Awards show started out with an awesome intro by Jack Black, this year’s host. (I would post the video, but it was a little risque for those with kiddos at home! So just click on the intro link to see it.) This VGA had nine World Premieres, which I will talk about later in this post. But first, let’s get to the winners!

Best Shooter: Gears of War 2 by Epic Games Gears of War, need I say more, this game rocks!

Best Xbox Game: Gears of War 2 by Epic Games

Best Independant Game: World of Goo by 2D Boy This game looked weird to me, but it looked like it could be fun.

Big Name in the Game: This award went to Kiefer Sutherlund for his work in Call of Duty: World at War.
Kiefer stated in his acceptance speech that it took 6 months to do all of the voice work and he had to say over 1600 lines a least 9 or 10 different ways. Bet you thought your job was easy!

Gamer God Award: Will Wright, creator of SIMS and Spore. This man not only creates fun games, but he is wicked smart!

Best RPG (Role Playing Game): Fallout 3 by Bethseda Games. This game is awesome! If you liked Oblivion, you will like this post-apocolyptic RPG. It is a true RPG and have great graphics to boot.

Best Music Game: Rock Band 2 by Harmonix. We own this game and we love it. We have hosted a few Rock Band 2 parties and it is always a blast. The music selection is awesome, with bands like The Presidents of the United States, Joan Jett, and a ton of downloadable content and albums from bands like Metallica , and Led Zepplin.

Studio of the Year: Media Molecule, creators of Little Big Planet. I demo’d this game at the 2008 Penny Arcade Expo and it was a lot of fun to play. I was sad when I had to leave to try other games.

Best Driving Game: Burnout Paradise by Criterion Games.

Best Game Based on a Movie or TV Show: Lego Indiana Jones by LucasArts. I was glad to see this win an award, I am a huge fan of the Lego series and it is a game that is a little bit challenging and I don’t have to worry when my four year old watches me play, the content is clean.

Best Fighting Game: Soul Caliber 4 by Namco Bandai. I haven’t played this game yet, but it is in my Gamefly queue. It looks like a fun fighting game with nice graphics and play.

Best PC & Multiplayer Game: Left 4 Dead by Valve. I want to try this game, however, since I have a four year old, finding the time to play when a.) she’s not around and b.) when I am not fighting my hubby for the Xbox is problematic.

Best Handheld Game: Professor Layton and the Curious Village by Level 5. I don’t know too much about this game, as I do not have a Nintendo DS (yet). If you have tried this, let me know what you think.

Best Wii Game: Boom Blox by Steven Spielberg and EA Games. This looked like a ton of fun, especially on those days when you need a little bit of stress relief! I added it to my Gamefly queue.

Best Individual Sports Game: Shaun White Snowboarding by Ubisoft. My whole family demo’d this game at Penny Arcade and we had a ton of fun. My four year old kicked some serious tail on this game and she has never snowboarded. She now wants to learn.

Best Graphics and Original Score: Metal Gears Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots by Konami. I’ll be honest, I haven’t played this one yet, so again, if it rocks, let me know!

And lastly, GAME OF THE YEAR: Grand Theft Auto 4 by Rockstar Games North. I will be honest, I don’t play any of the GTA series, only because the storylines don’t really interest me. I’m not a person to “smack the ho” and steal cars, but I have friends that really love this series, so go Rockstar!

This year’s VGA had not only some big winners, but some great music and hosting as well. Jack Black was perfect for hosting the VGAs. Next year ought to be interesting with all of new games coming out.If you want to know about the World Premieres at the VGA’s, you’ll have to read my next post.

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