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Item: Video games illustrate Nation’s love of laziness: Nintendo’s recent ploys for profit cheapen actual involvement/Alex Gratzer, WSU Daily Evergreen
More Info: Nintendo is doing the world a lot of favors these days. Instead of simply producing mindless racing and shoot-em-up games, they want people to get their priorities straight. The Wii console allows a slew of apparently constructive interactive activities, including exercising and instrument playing. It�s all part of Nintendo�s revolutionary plan to get people active and productive without having to get off the couch. The video game guru’s latest threat, “Wii Music,” allows gamers to play up to 60 different instruments by simply flailing the controls in whichever way the instrument requires. Let’s call it faux music class.
Question: Do you or your kids play video games? How much?
D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
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Arch_Druid on February 07 at 8:44 a.m.
I play video games. I love them.
JamesBond on February 07 at 2:30 p.m.
My kids don’t play video games, but I do.
poolman on February 07 at 3:08 p.m.
My wife bought me a PS2 for xmas about 5 years ago. It’s still in the box. I’ve been considering a Wii but I’m afraid it will end up in the closet right next to the PS2.
That bowling game does look kind of neat. The fun of bowling without the shoe disinfectant, lane oil, and uh hum - being around people that hang out in bowling alleys…
Millslave on February 07 at 3:17 p.m.
I have a XBox 360, PS2, GameCube and a Wii.
I have played the Wii Music, and was not really impressed with it. The best part was the virtual drumset, but you have to have the WiiFit balance board to use it. The best part of the Wii is the WiiFit. Alot of people (me included) thought that it was just a toy, but it really does give a good workout, really heavy on aerobics and yoga. The balance games are a lot of fun, especially the skiing and snowboarding games. I bought the WiiFit for my wife for Christmas and we have been using it about 3 - 4 times per week and I have noticed the difference, I have lost 18 pounds so far using this and the treadmill. The one warning is if you are over 330 lbs. you will be over the weight limit.
Escapee on February 08 at 5:29 p.m.
I play the video pinball game that came with Windows XP. I love it. As a kid, I dreamed about having a pinball machine at home. Now I do.
Arch_Druid on February 08 at 10:00 p.m.
I haven’t played that much, the pin ball game on XP. I prefer the various card games instead. One nice thing about video games is that once you buy them, you don’t have to continue feeding quarters into greedy machines. LOL!
Escapee on February 08 at 10:43 p.m.
Ms. Druid, I have no idea how to play cards, not even solitaire, and if you tried to explain it to me my eyes would glaze over, and I’m no good at video games, but I’ve always been pretty good at pinball. The XP pinball game is very realistic…and if you press the wrong key, you can even “tilt” it. If I had all the quarters I spent on Pinball in my lifetime, I could buy half of one of Hagadone’s yachts.