Category Archives: gaming

Striking a Balance for Kids of the Digital Age

I read about a survey and study presented this week by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop called Families Matter: Designing Media for a Digital Age. What I got out of it is that a lot of parents are just like me when it comes to teaching, protecting and entertaining our children today. Continue reading

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Video Game Rating T-M: What does it mean?

Recently a friend of Cool Breeze wanted him to get a video game with a rating of T-M. I could find nothing online explaining this kind of rating, so I sent an email to the ESRB, and was pleasantly surprised to get a response in less than a week. Continue reading

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Playstation Network a Nightmare – In More Ways than One

Cool Breeze’s PS3 woes began last week. He’d just received a new video game in the mail from GameFly and it could only be played online. Oh, how he moped. What a nightmare. Now I find out that my credit card information may be compromised. Now that’s a nightmare. Continue reading

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Nintendo 3DS: “I want to hug those guys!”

Was anyone in your house counting the days to March 27, frantically performing yard work for neighbors, and searching for quarters in couches? In my house this meant awaiting the arrival of the Nintendo 3DS. A month ago, Cool Breeze … Continue reading

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Digitally Distracted Kid Falls Off Train Platform

In Italy this week a 10-year-old boy walked right off an underground train platform and onto the tracks while playing his PSP. Continue reading

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Get in the Driver’s Seat with Inflatable Racing Kart

CTA Digital has built an Inflatable Racing Kart for the Wii. For $40 you can fly around the turns with Princess Peach and Bowser from your own vehicle. Continue reading

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Mario’s Origins

My kids got a kick out of this: Mario (of Nintendo Super Mario fame) is named after a real man. Continue reading

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Birthday: Digital v. Unplugged

Today is Rose Red’s 9th birthday. Before today I might have described her as the most thoughtful member of the household, but she seems to have inspired her brothers to greatness. Continue reading

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RuneScape Abandoned

Five months ago RuneScape was the only thing Cool Breeze could talk or think about. The mmorpg (massive multiplayer online role-playing game) consumed the then 10-year-old. I listened in duringĀ a car ride as he and a friend talked for 40 … Continue reading

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Motivated to Save

Because digital gadgets are so expensive, my purchase of them is limited to birthdays and Christmas. What that means is that my kids have become quite adept at saving up for things they want. Let me say that another way: my oldest has become adept at getting his siblings to join in saving for things he’s got his eye on but thinks they’ll enjoy too. Continue reading

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