Game Boy Begins

I’ve always remembered my very first hand-held gaming device, the Original Game Boy. There were countless hours of starring down on that device, switching in and out with different games such as Tetris, Super Mario Land, Operation C (or Contra), Motocross Maniacs etc. Some of these games go on to become the Retro-Classics, and others became inspirations to those that come after.

Image source: Copyright 2014 Alexander E Smith - AlexanderESmith.com/3d

 

One thing I remember very clearly, is that all my games are worded Japanese or English. As it little boy raised in Hong Kong, I barely understand what is being displayed on the screen. However, I do recall that I was so into the gameplay that the language became insignificant to the overall experience.  Also, these early games gave me a common conversational topic with other gamers regardless of their geographic locations.

And that’s what it should be; a well-made video game can transcend language barriers and quite possible, cultural differences too.

(Link) 25 years of the Game Boy: A timeline of the systems, accessories, and games

Game boy celebrates its 25^th birthday today. Therefore, I’m going to take this opportunity to say Happy Birthday, and Thank You for introducing me to the gaming world. I guess there is only one thing left to do, go and dig out some Game Boy cartridges and revisit some of my old favorites!

Teamwork Multiplayer

I just recently read a article and I found a good quote that I would like to share. "Gaming didn't eliminate social interaction, it supplemented it." There is definitely many truth to this statement as modern day gaming usually involve some form of social interaction.

Let's bank that thought for a few seconds. If I ask you to generate an image of a "Gamer" in your mind, what do you think that will look like? Perhaps an image of a person (alone) sitting in front of a computer or TV, constantly starring at the screen and seemingly motionless (except may be the hands on the controller). The only recorded interaction is mostly be the player reacting to things that's happening on screen.

Regrettably, the image may still be relevant if our focus is on single-player oriented gaming experience only. However, more and more video games are developed partially, if not mainly, with the focus on the multiplayer elements. Multiplayer, a game type that involve more than one person, basically mean adding the "social" interaction into video gaming. Multiplayer are meant for players to interact with each other either competitively or cooperatively. The interaction can be as simple as typing into the in-game chat system to having a full conversation using mic-headphones accessories.

I also notice a trend had develop within the "Multiplayer" realm. A shift from the traditional "Free-for-All" (me vs. the world) to more of a focus on "Team Battle" (team vs team). Examples can be found in some of the hottest titles in the market; the multiplayer game type are usually team oriented, such as:

• Call of Duty: Ghosts - Team Deathmatch, Extinction
• Titanfall - Attrition, Hardpoint Domination
• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag - Wolf Pack DLC
• Match Making in sport games such as FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NHL 14
• Apps such as Clash of Clans, Candy Crush Saga

*Warning, video game (multiplayer) supplements social interaction, and it should not be interpreted as the "only" interaction.

Here is the [link] to the article.