In response to "Split|Screen" from The Escapist Forum: Truly a wonderful article and something I am also for is a return to splitscreen to support people actually socializing in person. It really is a different experience when you have friends physically with you and talking to you in person than over Vent or any other sterile service.
You find the best moments and opportunities in PEOPLE.
I love hearing some friends of mine COMPLAIN about split screen when they have a 50" LCD television. I ask back why don't they like the idea of multiplayer and their response is that they don't want to share the screen or worry about screen lookers. The technology of televisions of that size even when using splitscreen are still bigger than some 19" televisions that a lot of gamers use today.
If given the choice between playing online with friends and strangers versus playing in person, playing in person wins all the time. It allows me to bond with my friends and gives me the chance to make more friends that I can physically contact.
As for worms, yeah I remember the great times sharing a computer with my family and friends all taking turns and it was great seeing the reactions and call outs even if we were away from the monitor getting a coke.
"Hey Tenmar! I just dragonpunched Clanger in the water!"
"Revenge!"
- Tenmar
I'm glad somebody finally put out an article about this.
I game online all the time, and while it's fun, there's a lot to be said for having your friends in the room with you. There's only so much you can communicate over a noisy headset, or worse yet, typing text feverishly. Teamwork requires communication and our most experienced form of communication is face to face with the person next to us.
Local multiplayer also helps with socialization. It's great to meet people online, but with all the barriers to communication, it's difficult to really get to know people. Nothing is more natural than getting together with some friends to play a game, whether it's a card game, board game, or video game. Without local multiplayer, you can't play most games together with your friends (puzzle games being a definite exception).
It's unfortunate that developers have left multiplayer by the wayside. My friends and I still play NES together regularly, but I'll be damned if I can get them to play anything on my XBOX 360 other than Rock Band. There just aren't enough games that take advantage of split screen and make playing together worth doing.
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In response to "Roleplaying, Free Play and the Preeschool Gamer" from The Escapist Forum: This article is the perfect reminder that "role-playing" is just another word for "pretend." Many people disregard imagination as a childish experience, as a nostalgic reminder of the time when life was just a stage, and we could put on any play we wanted.
It's no mystery that children imitate their parents; psychologists call it a learning method, but parents see it as sentimental role-play, as if it forms a unique bond between parent and child. People don't realize it, but gaming today owes everything to children. "Pretend" wouldn't exist without them. Because back then, life was a game.
With that said, I like to think that children are natural born gamers. As they progress through life, they discover that everything has rules, that they can interact with the world, and that with the right imagination, anything is possible. No matter how you raise a child, they will always retain a strand of creativity.
I found this article to be very well written. It's filled with mother's worry, but that only makes it all the more touching. Good job.
Good article!
Regarding plastic rayguns and foam swords: my kids (both 7) often play combat games, but they're not particular about using things which are supposed to be weapons. Small soft toys make fine missiles. Cushions work well as both swords and shields. The sofa cover is both a royal cloak and a spectre's shroud. And the boulder from Raiders of the Lost Ark makes a fine exercise ball... or the other way around, I forget.
The point being that if you're going to encourage imaginative play you might as well go the whole way! :-)
