"Crack!" And a gleeful glow began to radiate from my 5-year old son as he sent a ball flying into the cloud patched sky. Some minutes later as the word, "Strike!" Flew from the umpire's lips, for the 3rd time, I could'nt help but nervously laugh and wonder: How could a 5-year old boy strike his father out?
A seasoned pro. A cocky upstart. A shy debutante. Only the green beneath their feet was equal. Five holes and even more excuses later, the initiate, who never swung a golf club in her life, much less a simulated one, would leave a champion. Now she wants to tackle the real thing. What?!
I'll give you three letters for a one word explanation: W-i-i
Recently, a family we became acquainted with invited us over for dinner and some wholesome recreation. There we were introduced for the first time, in person, to the Ninendo Wii. Frankly, as my above experiences described, it was nothing less than wonderful! Never before have I seen a game system have such a positive influence on such a diverse demographic. Nintendo has hit a home run by not just utilizing advanced technology, but by layering those technologies with a keen application of psychology, business savvy and a heavy dose of game purism. The result is, in my opinon, a successful example of what the video game industry (in essence) has been promising for years: The virtual with the real at a price you can't help but afford.
In future posts I hope to cover why I think the above is true.
