I’ll be the first to admit that when Blu-ray first launched, I was skeptical. I wasn’t sure if the new technology was a worthwhile investment for someone like me. Sure, it delivered more storage and higher-quality video and audio, but I simply saw it as another way to take my hard-earned cash for little benefit over DVD.
Over time, I realized that my perception was off. Blu-ray has not only become my go-to platform when I want to buy movies or television shows, but it has also helped me replace the need for DVD in my home. Practically my entire DVD collection has been wiped out in favor of Blu-ray. And as time has gone on, I haven’t missed my once-beloved DVD one bit.
But now my time is being split between watching Blu-ray content and streaming video via services like Netflix and Amazon Video On Demand. I’ve found that not having to get off the couch to watch something I’m interested in is far more preferable than finding the DVD copy and popping that into a player. Call me lazy, but that convenience is something that makes streaming a staple in my home.
However, when I pit streaming against Blu-ray, I can’t help but choose the latter option when I want to sit back, relax, and enjoy a movie. The streaming option is certainly much easier to get up and running, and if I went all-streaming, I could reduce all the clutter in my entertainment center, but then I would lose the higher-quality video and audio that comes with Blu-ray.
Streaming is great, but do me a favor and pop Avatar into your Blu-ray player, running on your 1080p set, and tell me that isn’t the best way to enjoy that film. Yes, most streaming services, like Apple’s iTunes content on the Apple TV, are available in 720p, rather than 1080p, which makes the comparison a bit unfair, but isn’t that central to this entire argument? Until streaming can match Blu-ray in terms of overall quality and sound, it’s simply not the best way to enjoy content.
Luckily, companies like Vudu realize that. The company offers a 1080p option to customers that actually looks quite nice. But even in those cases where folks get 1080p content from Vudu, it can’t quite live up to the audio-visual quality we enjoy on Blu-ray.
And as convenient as Netflix is, the company’s streaming option in no way comes close to matching the experience of watching the same film on Blu-ray.
As much as I enjoy the many streaming services I use, they have a long way to go to match Blu-ray. Yes, streaming is convenient, and yes, it’s getting better by the day. But to say that it can be a replacement for Blu-ray, at least right now, is simply outrageous.
Not too long ago, I wrote on these pages that the Nintendo Wii in my house was collecting dust. I explained that Wii games aren’t as appealing to me as they might be to other gamers. I also told you that I wasn’t all that impressed by the Wii Remote itself. Suffice it to say that I’m perfectly content with a traditional controller.
So, when I purchased Microsoft’s Kinect after a few weeks of deciding whether or not it would be a sound purchase, I was a little concerned that the unique motion option would fall flat in the same way.
And then I played Kinect Adventures. The experience was unique, to say the least. And I was generally quite pleased with the gameplay. More importantly, I found that the Kinect followed my actions quite well.
I had a similarly impressive experience with Dance Central. I’m not much for dancing, but in trying the game with friends and family, I started believing that the Kinect would do what the Wii couldn’t in my life: make motion gaming a staple in my daily game sessions.
But after a while, just as it did with the Wii, my interest in the Kinect waned. Most of the games available for the device are more casual in nature, and they require multiple players to make them fun. The technology still impressed me, but the games themselves couldn’t quite stand up to the more traditional, “core” titles I typically enjoy.
More than a month since I came to that realization, my Kinect has done little but collect dust. I haven’t played a Kinect game in that span, and I haven’t missed it one bit.
Now, I’m sure some Microsoft fans would say that I’m premature in my judgement of the Kinect. After all, the platform has been out for only a couple months and some core titles should be supporting the device later this year.
That might be true. And I am hopeful that more serious titles can change my stance on the Kinect. But I’m not confident that will happen. Jumping around in my living room isn’t all that appealing to me. And once the novelty wears off on any casual Kinect game, I quickly realize that I’d rather sit on the couch and play a better title.
I can say the same for Sony’s PlayStation Move. Like the Wii, it falls short for me. And I can’t help but wonder why I’m flailing my arms around, rather than enjoying a game with a traditional controller.
So, unless the Kinect can deliver on my hopes of a viable hardcore experience, I’m not quite sure if it will do much in my house besides collect dust. It’s certainly a neat technology, and I think it offers more fun than the Wii, but when it’s all said and done, it still can’t match traditional gaming for me.
What about you? Is your Kinect collecting dust or are you playing with it each night?
Before the Consumer Electronics Show kicked off in Las Vegas, I wrote up a piece about how I was excited, and equally uneasy, about the trip to Vegas and the impending show. It’s the biggest tech show around, and while it may not seem like it, there really is a lot to do. But, time marches on, and here we are a couple days after the show has officially wrapped up. So, I figured I’d tell you how it all went, and whether or not I’m looking forward to next year’s extravaganza.
This year’s CES was one of the best. That’s what Ben Bajarin had to say about the show, and I think I’d have to agree with him. The truth is, seeing it from down on the showroom floor, or inside the press conferences, is completely different than reading about it, or even writing about it from a remote location. I’ve covered CES before, but not from the thick of it. It was a new experience, and it was one that I’ll always remember, for sure. But, before I got there, I had heard the horror stories, and took them to heart: limited or no WiFi access at all, bad food, too many people, and horrific traffic. I accepted it as a truth, but let me be honest: I wasn’t expecting what I found.
First and foremost, the traffic and Las Vegas is absurd. I’m not sure what’s happening there, but the drivers are simply insane. Either that, or they just like living life on the edge so much, that they push that way of life to its limits while on the road. I’ve been in a taxi in New York City, Los Angeles, and in Chicago — nothing compares to the crazy things I saw in Vegas. I wouldn’t even get in one of them, had I been given the opportunity. I’ll just go ahead and say this: if you’ve never been to Vegas and you don’t drink or gamble, then you should still go just to watch the traffic. It’s a show in of itself.
And let’s not forget about the pedestrians. They don’t seem to much care about traffic signals, or signs. I can’t even tell you how many times I watched a pack of people just go ahead and cross a busy street, despite the fact that it said no crossing. They just came in droves. And the bigger the initial pack, the longer the trailing line of people was. And, it didn’t matter that the vehicles had the right of way — it’s not like they were just going to run them all down, right there in the crosswalk. So, I watched as traffic got backed up a countless number of times, all because people were brave enough to just do what they wanted.
As for the show itself, it really is huge. Spanning two buildings, with one central hall in between them with even more gagets and devices, and booths, the entire event is one that you can probably see from space. And there are so many people. Trying to catch a break is impossible, because no matter where you are, there’s going to be someone else there. Or someone else walking by. There were plenty of times where I found myself on the fourth our fifth floor of the Venetian hotel, trying to find a WiFi connection that wasn’t being hampered by thousands of other computers. Even if it was quiet for the most part, there was always someone close by.
And there is a lot of walking to be done. While on the showroom floor, you have to move from one booth to another. Constantly on your feet, even for product demonstrations and hands-on, you’re never sitting for long. If you do find a seat in the press room, you’ll find yourself hoarding it like it was food, and you haven’t eaten in days. Especially if you manage to connect to the Internet for longer than five minutes with a quick connection.
And then there’s the food. It’s really hit or miss. Most conferences ended with a table next to the exit with plenty of food in boxes, waiting for the attendees to scramble out and grab one. Soda was certainly on hand in abundance. For me, it wasn’t necessarily about finding food, but finding food I wanted to eat. I found some of the craziest sandwich combinations, most of which I couldn’t even imagine eating on any given day. But, considering how busy I was, getting time to eat was pretty thin, so I managed to eat whatever they put in front of me.
Except seafood.
In the end, a lot of the horror stories are true. There isn’t a constant, reliable WiFi connection anywhere near people; the food is usually terrible; and there certainly is a lot of walking to do. But, was it worth it? Without a doubt. Will I do it again? Without hesitation. Seeing and meeting so many people, all of which are great and integral parts of an industry I love so much is something I would never pass up. Seeing old friends, making new ones, all while getting to play, see, and talk about the latest and greatest in gadgets, phones, and the tech industry in general is something that, for me, I would never think twice about.
I’m always quick to come to the defense of the video game industry when I feel it’s being unfairly criticized. Too often, critics say that the industry is overrun with characters and storylines that are targeted at kids. They believe that the industry hasn’t matured over the past twenty years, and is still caught in a time when plumbers and hedgehogs were all the rage.
The critics simply fail to see that today’s gaming industry is a much different place than it once was.
That’s precisely why I found myself in a somewhat frustrating conversation recently with a friend that told me the film industry deserves far more respect than video games could ever earn. He told me that classics like “Citizen Kane,” “The Godfather,” and countless others have done more for arts and entertainment around the world than any video game ever released.
As expected, his argument then turned to games themselves. He said that even so-called “mature” games, like Call of Duty: Black Ops or Mass Effect fail to offer the quality of entertainment and artistic expression movies can muster.
For sure, it’s an old argument. And it’s one that those on either side of the debate feel strongly about. But it doesn’t make it any less relevant. And as a video game fanatic, I feel it’s my duty to support the industry that has given me so much entertainment over the years.
See, I believe that some video games deserve just as much respect nowadays as movies. I would agree that sports games, children’s titles, or most of Nintendo’s first-party titles can’t be held in the same light as film classics, but I do believe that several games, including one of my favorite titles of 2010 — Mass Effect 2 — deserve the same respect as films.
Video games today are made with multi-million dollar budgets, have teams of writers developing compelling storylines, boast outstanding musical scores, and deliver a level of entertainment that was thought impossible even a decade ago. They are so compelling, in fact, that they keep us intrigued for dozens of hours. Try to find me a single movie that can do the same.
So, perhaps I’m not so sold on the value of film over games. Do I think games deserve more respect than movies? Of course not. But I don’t believe movies deserve more respect than video games either.
Video games are bridging the gap between fun and artistic expression. And I think it’s time we all appreciate that much more than we already do.
The set-top box market picked up in the past year. A slew of companies joined the fray, like Boxee, while others, including Roku, Apple, and Western Digital, improved their line of products to better appeal to consumers.
Aside from the Apple TV, perhaps the most notable addition to the set-top box market last year was Google TV. The platform was made available on the Logitech Revue and some Sony HDTVs, and was expected to captivate audiences.
But it didn’t. And all the while, the Apple TV performed quite well.
Apple’s set-top box features a small footprint and allows consumers to stream movies and television shows from iTunes. It also includes Netflix streaming, among other features. Unlike its predecessor, Apple isn’t treating its latest set-top box like a “hobby.” That renewed focus helped Apple sell over 1 million Apple TV units since the device’s launch, making it one of the more popular set-top boxes on store shelves.
As an Apple TV owner, I have no issue seeing the device perform well at retail (it is a useful product, after all), but I am concerned that the market will focus more on delivering an experience similar to that set-top box’s, rather than what Google TV offers, given recent sales.
See, the Apple TV is too simple. It doesn’t interface with my DVR, it doesn’t have an App Store-like marketplace, and it delivers a movie-viewing experience that’s far too similar to the sub-par offering on my DVR.
But Google TV is different. Even with its faults, Google TV has more promise than any other service on the market. It will soon allow users to access apps; it has a full-fledged Web browser; and with some help from content providers, it should soon deliver far more content than any other platform in the space.
As far as I’m concerned, Google TV is the only service available now that makes sense in such a forward-thinking marketplace.
The Apple TV is a fine product, but it’s too, well, today. And I’m not looking for a product that’s suitable for today. I want a product that can look ahead and bring the future to me sooner rather than later. And at least right now, that’s Google TV.
So, going forward I don’t want to see vendors get wrapped up in the Apple TV’s success and follow its lead. Not only would it hold the streaming space back, but it would also annoy a lot of consumers who are looking for far more functionality.
Despite the fact that I’ve been writing about technology for a while now, I consider today a big day for me. Actually, I consider today a day that will be one that I remember for the rest of my life. Sorry for beating around the bush, but I imagine that the title of this column probably gave it away: this is my first visit to Las Vegas while the Consumer Electronics Show is in town. Why is today such a big day? Because today’s the day I’m taking my flight to Vegas, and teaming up with the rest of the SlashGear and Android Community crew, where we’re going to run around with a chaotic purpose to do just one thing: bring you images, stories, and videos of what’s happening at this year’s show. But, while we’re doing that, here’s the truth: I’m going to be scared out of my mind.
I’m already scared, and my flight isn’t for another few hours. I’ve been reading all of the stories, the predictions, the hints and guesses about what’s to come at this year’s show. I’ve got a few assumptions of my own about what’s going to be unveiled, and about how things are going to go about, but the truth is, nothing I can do on my own is going to prepare me for what’s about to happen. The next several days are going to be some of the most chaotic, disruptive, stressful, but ultimately memorable that I can imagine, and I’m looking forward to them like I was a small child waiting for Christmas day.
That’s probably a good correlation between events. A lot of people believe that these shows are much like Christmas, where we get to see all of the brand new toys heading to the market some time in the future. I can see that. And that’s probably why I’m so nervous. Because this isn’t just a few presents under the tree. This is huge. This is several hundred toys, but instead of being under a tree, they’re in booths. There’s going to be showing them off, and other people taking photos, or video, and asking question after question. And I’m going to be in all of it, moving from one booth to the next, talking to the people showing off the products, playing with the products, and then writing it all down to tell you about it. To tell you about the toys. About the events.
And thinking about it just terrifies me even more. But, truth be told, it is what it is. This is one event in 2011 that may go down in history as the show for tablets, or 3D, or the sweep of 4G devices. Whatever the takeaway is, I’m going to be right there, figuring out how it all makes sense in this crazy world. And no matter what, it’s going to be something that keeps me on my toes the whole time. Exercise, all the while getting to play with some of the greatest things to hit the market since sliced bread. It doesn’t get any better than that, now does it?
And what’s better, is the fact that I get to meet the people that I work with every day, face-to-face. Finally. We’re brought together by this event, and what’s a better way to get a bunch of people who love technology, and who love to write about it, then an event like CES 2011? And despite the fact that I may be terrified of the next few days, it boils down to telling all of you about what’s coming, and showing you all the great things that you’ll definitely be excited about for the next couple of weeks, or months. Maybe you’ll find the next gadget you want so badly, that you mark its release date on your schedule. That’s what it’s all about.
So even if I’m scared out of my mind, I can’t wait to tackle it, and get it done. So, wish me luck. Here’s to my first CES.
We’re having a do-over. 2010 was meant to be the year of the tablet, but it turned out to be something of a flop unless you love iOS. Predictions that we’d see dozens of Android slates turned out to be only partially true: yes, there were tablets a-plenty, but recognizable brand names were generally absent and the flush of OEM models seldom made it onto store shelves. Samsung pushed ahead with the Galaxy Tab, and succeeded in showing us that, while there’s room for more than just the iPad on the market, you really need to have a team of software engineers on hand to fettle Android in order to claim your place.
That’s not so much Android’s fault – the OS has been steadily climbing in popularity, and Android-powered smartphones are turning into best-sellers on various carriers – but proof that you can’t take a smartphone OS, slap it onto a big-screen device and expect it to be anything like as elegant. Expectations of low pricing didn’t help; Android may be free, but as Toshiba found to its cost with the Folio 100, you can’t cut quality corners on your budget slate and expect the market to stomach them.
With Honeycomb, Android on slates should feel less half-hearted, and it seems the sensible manufacturers have decided to keep their development money in their pockets, allow Samsung to mop up the earliest of early adopters, and strike the iPad hype machine when Google has the tablet-centric OS ready. With that expected in February or March – though some wags are suggesting Honeycomb will launch even earlier, at CES in fact – it puts us on the precipice of a new cavalcade of touchscreen tidbits. Acer, ASUS, Dell, LG, Motorola, MSI, Samsung and Toshiba are among the big-brand names expected to show off new slates, and that’s before you get to the smaller companies with their own big ambitions. It’ll require more than a little imagination, however; with Honeycomb not yet ready for the public, we’re going to have to take the word of manufacturers that their CES demo units (running earlier versions of Android) will translate to more cohesive experiences when they finally launch.
That’s not to say Android is the only way forward for tablets. HP is expected to launch its first webOS-based slate in 2011, and we’re hoping the company follows in Palm’s footsteps from two years ago and surprises everyone with a legitimately interesting CES reveal this week. Windows 7, meanwhile, is also tipped to be flexing its tablet ambitions, with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said to be bringing models from Dell and Samsung on-stage in his CES keynote. Whether that’s enough to give Microsoft and its OEM partners any sort of edge remains to be seen; Windows 7 has its uses, but when it comes to finger-friendliness it’s low on the list.
If the year’s delay has helped at all, it’s in showing manufacturers – and a perhaps naive public – that slapping the internet on a touchscreen display isn’t quite enough. With little more than Star Trek PADDs to go by, the early assumption was that by stripping away the keyboard we’d immerse ourself in a heady soup of finger-flicked internet access and be content. Instead, it’s become clear that a tablet works best – and that people are more likely to spend money – when it fits into an ecosystem of media. Vizio’s integration of its freshly-announced VIA Tablet and VIA Phone is one example of how that might work, but there’s still plenty of room for a manufacturer to step in and show everyone else – Apple included – how it can be done best.
Allow me to just state the obvious right now: Nintendo fans are going to read this headline and the following column and immediately take me to task for supposedly inciting some kind of war between them and those who can’t stand their favorite game company.
I can assure you that such a result isn’t my intention. As I’ve expressed on these pages before, I’m a huge Nintendo fan. I was someone who defended Nintendo back when the company was waging war against Sega. And every single first-party title that I could get my hands on, I played with absolute enjoyment.
But something is changing.
Over the past year, I’ve played several Nintendo first-party titles, ranging from Super Mario Galaxy 2 to Donkey Kong Country Returns. And although I found the experience entertaining at times, and I worked my way through all the first-party titles I’ve played, I left nearly every one of them with a sense of disappointment.
But before we get into that, let me take you back in time for a minute.
When Super Mario 64 launched, I was suspicious of the new experience the game company would be offering. I was in a comfort zone with my Mario titles and I wasn’t sure if this new experience would be right for me.
And then I played Super Mario 64. By the end, I was obsessed with the game, its new ideas, and everything else that made it one of the top titles in history. It welcomed me to a new world of opportunity both in gaming and in Nintendo development. And along the way, it became one of my favorite games of all-time.
Fast forward to 2010 when I got my hands on Super Mario Galaxy 2, and that excitement was officially gone. Was it fun? At times. Was it on-par with so many Mario titles that came before it? That’s up for debate.
I found that Super Mario Galaxy 2 was an incremental update over its predecessor. And the tired use of the Wii Remote made me think twice about where Nintendo was going in the motion-gaming space.
I had similar feelings towards Donkey Kong Country Returns. The game is undoubtedly fun at times, and it ups the level of difficulty that made Donkey Kong so important in the gaming space. But once again, I wasn’t thrilled with the Wii Remote functionality. As difficult as the game got at the end, I found it a tad bit boring when it was all said and done. Needless to say, it’s unlikely to be a game that I revisit.
Granted, those are just two examples of several Nintendo titles that came out this year. But I think they illustrate my feelings towards the majority of first-party titles from the game company: the titles are fun, they can be entertaining when friends are over, but their use of the Wii Remote leaves much to be desired. And in general, I just think Nintendo is sticking with its own comfort zone and not allowing its franchises to grow as much as they should.
Now, does all this mean that I won’t be playing Nintendo video games anymore? Of course not. I’m a fan of those franchises for life. And I can say with absolute certainty that any future Mario, Metroid, or Legend of Zelda games the company throws at me, I will play.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t have some complaints. And I would like to see Nintendo grow up a bit. The gaming market is changing, but Nintendo seems to have been most resistant to that change.
We’ve already told you what to expect from 2011 and the imminent CES 2011 show next week, courtesy of Tim Bajarin’s excellent editorial, but it wouldn’t be fair to the departing twelve months to let them pass without a SlashGear wrap-up. 2010 has seen its share of highs along with a fair few worrying lows, with Apple extending its much-coveted brand to include a best-selling tablet, Android growth bursting through the roof, and privacy becoming the buzzword seldom from headlines.
Apple iPad
We were calling 2010 the year of the tablet all the way back at CES in January, and there are two companies that have epitomized that theme in the intervening months. Apple’s iPad put years of rumors to rest when Steve Jobs confirmed the tablet’s existence in late January, and went on in April to do what Microsoft never quite managed: drive tablet computing into the mainstream. Decried and praised in almost equal measure for the structured nature of its software environment – labeled both as limiting and user-friendly – the iPad prompted dozens of knock-offs and even more analyst pondering on what exactly the Apple tablet was cannibalising.
Notion Ink
The second company shaping tablet discussion this year could hardly be more different in scale, but still managed to muster a hugely loyal and forgiving fanbase. Notion Ink burst onto the Android tablet scene back when it was in its fledgling stages, and has punctuated the year with its own share of highs and lows. Branded vaporware and the “one true iPad killer” by those to whom extremes are everything, it’s been a fascinating story of an ambitious start-up that promises to culminate in early January 2011 as the first units are finally delivered. Still, pushing out a product is almost the easy part – just ask the JooJoo team – and it remains to be seen how Adam will fare against the torrent of tablet alternatives expected next week.
Android
A fair chunk of those alternatives are expected to run Android, and 2010 has seen Google’s mobile OS bulldoze its way to a significant chunk of market share and an impressive amount of consumer brand recognition. Android smartphones have arguably been at the forefront of the year’s key developments: WiMAX on the HTC EVO 4G, Google’s attempt to usurp carrier dominance with direct sales of the Nexus One. In the course of twelve months, Android handsets have effectively replaced BlackBerry devices as Verizon customers’ smartphones of choice, and turned the smartphone race into, for many, a two-horse battle between Google and Apple.
iPhone 4
Apple’s response was the iPhone 4, the company’s fourth-generation smartphone and an advance in both performance and usability. The high-res Retina Display shook the WVGA handset world out of its complacency, while the A4 processor left the iPhone 4 as the smoothness benchmark against which other devices were measured. Almost as interesting, though, was the growing backlash among the industry toward the handset, a love/hate relationship that saw the smartphone’s launch scooped with a controversial pay-for-play leaked prototype, vultures circulating as reception and durability concerns plagued the iPhone, and Apple’s ecosystem control mentioned alongside such traditional bogeymen as Microsoft. The iPhone 4 ended up at the top of many 2010 retrospectives, but getting there was not the smooth ride Steve Jobs perhaps expected.
App Stores
Manufacturers continued to push smartphone hardware, but chipsets and megapixels increasingly had to share space with software in 2010. Apple’s App Store set the blueprint for mobile software downloads, the benchmark that joined device sales in judging the success of a platform. Ironically, in the race to secure the “most apps of any platform” title, how users would actually wade through that software and pick out the gems was left unexplored. Microsoft made a play to capitalize on that with the launch of Windows Phone 7, working with – and in some circumstances paying – developers to build them a best-of-breed grounding to get the Windows Phone Marketplace off to a solid start.
Smart TV
Apps are a trend that look set to jump to our larger electronics, too, with the growth in attention toward Smart TV offerings like Google TV and Apple TV. Netflix announced a shift in direction as it placed increasing emphasis on streaming content over DVD mail-outs, and the idea of cloud-based media being a solid alternative to downloads grew more acceptable as home broadband speeds increased. For all its subscribers and bandwidth, though, it’s still a fledgling industry, and questions over DRM and content owners getting paid will carry on into 2011. When content can be blocked from Boxee, Google TV and others at the simple whim of the networks, companies can’t expect user confidence that their new STB will continue to do what was promised on the box.
Net Neutrality
Seldom understood and bitterly contested, net neutrality has in many ways been the fight for the internet that many users haven’t even realised was going on. At stake is the equality of our connectivity, and the rights that ISPs and others have to limit, block or otherwise control what we can connect and at what speed. Recent FCC rulings in the US have addressed some, though not all, concerns, and the arguments and legislation are no way near over yet.
Privacy
Data leaks are a fact of life when we live digitally, but privacy stories clinched headlines repeatedly in 2010 as we generally failed to successfully walk the fine line between sharing everything or sharing nothing. Whether it was hacked, accidentally disclosed or simply misused, we’ve seen big companies, websites and more get their hands burnt with increasingly valuable personal information and location data. Over-arching all of that has been WikiLeaks, itself prompting arguments over the compromises we accept in the name of security, the rights of governments to their own kind of privacy, and journalistic integrity. Over-sharing isn’t going away, and now the stakes are much higher. Facebook has overtaken Google as the most popular site, and there are rumors of Apple, Google and others planning social networks of their own.
SlashGear Team
Online publishing is always evolving, and the SlashGear team love being at the forefront of what’s brightest and most exciting (and, yes, shiny) in this electronic world. We’ve had some exciting additions to our line-up, too, with both industry analysts helping us put today’s tech into tomorrow’s context, and columnists voicing at times challenging views on digital lifestyle. We also launched our own iPhone and iPad SlashGear apps. 2011 promises to be even bigger, and we’ll continue to bring our independent voice to help you sift through the best and worst of consumer technology.
So, that’s 2010 over and done; remember to check out Tim Bajarin’s editorial on what to expect at CES, Ben Bajarin’s 2011 tech predictions, and join us next week for all the SlashGear CES 2011 coverage! From all on the SlashGear team, we hope you have a very Happy New Year!
Agree with our wrap-up or think we’ve missed out something obvious? Let us know your high – and low – points of 2010 in the comments.
When I was a kid, my dad would clobber me at video games. He’s not a gamer. He didn’t grow up playing games, and he didn’t have much interest once games became popular. But we had an Atari 2600, and I remember spending rainy days playing games with my dad. We would play Basketball, which consisted of two jagged stick figures bouncing a square. I was probably 10 years old, or so. We would play for money. He would beat me out of a month’s worth of allowance, then I would cry until he let me welch on our bet. So, obviously when I had a son of my own, I couldn’t wait to get him started playing games.
My wife and I have kept our son away from the television for as long as possible. He’s turning 2 years old next month, and he’s never sat through an entire half hour of a TV show. As a tech journalist, though, my office is little with phones and gadgets that light up and make noise, and it’s been hard to keep his hands off. He knows how to navigate an iPod touch. He knows which phones have a slide-out keyboard, and how to check out the pictures on a point-and-shoot camera. He even plays simple, educational games on our iPad. Educational, of course, is any game that involved letters and or children’s music, no matter how surreal and inane the rest of the game might be.
He’s not ready for console gaming, yet, and I’m in no rush to introduce him to the wonderful world of controllers and couch surfing for hours at a time. I was delighted to find that the toy he received for the holiday that elicited the most enthusiastic reaction, a genuine “Wow!,” was a LEGO set. He loves LEGO bricks. He likes building and then playing with his constructions. None of it lights up or makes noises or does much work for him. It all comes from his imagination, which is why I don’t worry when the little horse rides the bus he built, or the construction worker sits on a giant flower all day long.
For myself this holiday, though, I bought a PlayStation 3. Obviously I’m not getting my child involved in playing God of War, a game I myself might not even be mature enough to play. But the video games are in the same room as his little wooden train set. The trains can occupy him for quite some time, so the other night, while he was engrossed in the “Woo-Woo” and the “Ding-Ding-Ding,” I surreptitiously snuck around to the other side of the couch to make another attempt at killing Hades. From where he sat, he couldn’t see the screen.
When my wife came upstairs to check on us, she was mortified. Not that I wasn’t playing with him. We spend a lot of time playing with him and guiding his tasks. It’s healthy for him to have some time alone to be independent and come up with his own games. But it was clear she was upset.
I apologized for the content on screen and offered to play Wipeout HD, instead. Wipeout is a bright, colorful and futuristic racing game. There is some missile action, but no blood or even people visible. It’s not a game I would call violent.
“No, it’s not that. I just don’t want him to see you playing. I don’t want him to want to do that when he’s older.”
We had never discussed this idea. She didn’t want him playing video games. If not ever, at least as long as she could keep him from gaming. I was stunned, and a little hurt. My first reaction was to think she was insulting something I enjoy. If she doesn’t want our son playing video games, and I love playing, then she’s saying that something I love is not good enough for our son. I took it as a personal affront.
There are obvious things you should never do in front of your kids. Drinking. Smoking. Fighting. Drugs. None of those would be a problem for us. My wife doesn’t like my son watching The Simpsons, but she tolerates a few minutes (except for the Treehouse of Horror episodes). Family Guy? No chance. Some things she’s tried to forbid for no good reason. A childhood spent in religious Jewish education has her now swearing off pork, though we don’t keep kosher in any way. There were a few minutes when she said our son wouldn’t eat pork products himself, but I won that battle with no trouble. No pepperoni pizza? Not my child.
Was she right about video games? Certainly I don’t want him becoming sedentary. I don’t want him to wake up in the morning and hit the controller first thing, the way he asks for the iPad when I wake him up. I’ve tried to make sure that we develop plenty of good habits in him that I never had as a child. I never ate fruits and vegetables as a kid, but my son prefers fruit to cookies, and he’s never had a sip of soda. My parents weren’t strict about keeping my playroom clean, but cleaning up is so enjoyable and ingrained in my son’s head that on trips to the mall, he has to stop into the LEGO store to make sure the bulk bins in the back are straightened and properly organized.
I’ve always battled weight problems, too. While I don’t think video games caused my problems, I can say that if I exercised for every minute that I spent playing games, I would probably be in much better shape. My son gets plenty of outdoor exercise, and I’m in better shape because of the time I spend with him. But if he sees me having as much fun on the couch as we have on the playground, that could spell trouble in his future.
I would prefer to beat my son on a real basketball court with a ball that is inflated and round than beat him on the virtual court with a ball made out of pixels.
As always, I don’t think there’s an easy answer. If I simply keep him away from games, he’ll find friends who have gaming systems and play while he’s out of my sight. The answer isn’t to deprive him of the games, it’s to set a better example, so that he can see that playing in the real world can be more fun than playing in a virtual (and completely incorrect) version of ancient Greece.
So, I’ve cut my gaming time significantly. Kratos will have to wait for vengeance. Commander Shepard will have to defeat Harbinger some other day. I’ll spend more time chasing my toddler than the other mag-lev racers. And best of all, I’ll have ammunition against my wife and her incessant love of General Hospital. After all, for our son’s sake, she should really spend more time outside, and less time living in Port Charles.
