| A great many parents are concerned that
| |
| | hard-to-defeat Cogs.
|
| the electronic games their kids play are
| |
| | And you can't do this alone, no matter
|
| teaching the kids "negative" messages
| |
| | how much experience you have. So you
|
| such as aggression, violence, and
| |
| | begin to learn to play the game with
|
| isolation from real people. I want to
| |
| | others. The game encourages this, with
|
| illustrate here how computer and video
| |
| | "friends lists" and built in "speed chat"
|
| game playing, can have positive effects
| |
| | menus consisting, for kids' protection,
|
| on kids. This includes even the
| |
| | of a limited number of phrases you can
|
| "addictive" game playing associated with
| |
| | use. For example, you can invite your
|
| many of these games. The learning from
| |
| | friends to help you defeat a building
|
| these games is well worth the effort the
| |
| | (or, if you prefer, you can just wait
|
| kids put in playing them, and kids
| |
| | outside for others to show up.)
|
| typically sense this at some level, which
| |
| | But it gets subtle. Just because someone
|
| is one reason they fight so hard for
| |
| | is your friend (or wants to be) or
|
| their games.
| |
| | happens to show up, doesn't mean he or
|
| One key lesson many of their games is
| |
| | she has the experience to defeat the
|
| teaching them is the value of people
| |
| | higher-level Cogs. You can check out
|
| working together and helping each other.
| |
| | someone's gags when they are in range to
|
| To illustrate how this occurs, I will use
| |
| | help you decide whom to work with, but
|
| one particular game, Toontown, as an
| |
| | success depends not only on the level and
|
| example.
| |
| | number of gags one has, but also on
|
| Toontown ( is the Walt Disney Company's
| |
| | knowing how to use them in battle. You
|
| entry into the Massive Multiplayer Online
| |
| | learn over time what players you want on
|
| Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) category. For
| |
| | your team to achieve success in
|
| the non-initiated, that means a computer
| |
| | particular situations. Sometimes, to be
|
| game that supports thousands of players
| |
| | sure all of you survive, you have to
|
| online simultaneously, all of whom can
| |
| | reject players who ask to work with you
|
| see and interact with each other. A key
| |
| | on a certain task. One of the things you
|
| feature of these worlds is that they are
| |
| | can say through the speed chat is "I
|
| "persistent," meaning that the worlds
| |
| | think this is too risky for you." Just as
|
| continue to exist and change whether or
| |
| | in the real world, such advice is not
|
| not you are there, just any other place
| |
| | always well-received, and the game gives
|
| in the real world.
| |
| | you the opportunity to learn to deal with
|
| [Note: There are two types of multiplayer
| |
| | this.
|
| online games, both of which have their
| |
| | In the midst of any battle - players
|
| advantages. One type, the "multiplayer"
| |
| | typically fight higher-level Cogs in
|
| game, lets you interact with a limited
| |
| | groups of four - a player can choose,
|
| group of people, such as those on your
| |
| | rather than to throw a gag at the Cogs,
|
| team or squad, in a game world that
| |
| | to instead give his or her fellow players
|
| typically exists for only the time you
| |
| | additional "laff points" (i.e. health).
|
| are playing. The game America's Army is a
| |
| | Doing this helps prevent them from
|
| good example of this. The second type,
| |
| | "dying" and dropping out of the battle.
|
| the "massively multiplayer" game, lets
| |
| | One skill typically gained from frequent
|
| you interact with everyone you meet in
| |
| | play is knowing when to help your
|
| the ongoing world. Massively multiplayer
| |
| | teammates versus when to attack the Cogs.
|
| games like EverQuest, Asheron's Call, and
| |
| | This is not trivial. One adult player
|
| Dark Age of Camelot have captured the
| |
| | described her first battle with
|
| time and imaginations of hundreds of
| |
| | ultra-high-level Cogs as "extremely nerve
|
| thousands of US teenage and older
| |
| | wracking," and characterized the
|
| players. The Korean massively multiplayer
| |
| | strategies she had to employ to work
|
| game Lineage has over 4 million
| |
| | successfully with the other players as
|
| registered users, often with up to half a
| |
| | "the most emotional experience I've ever
|
| million players on-line at once. The
| |
| | had in a game." And this is the version
|
| players typically meet in relatively
| |
| | for kids!
|
| thinly-populated areas of very large and
| |
| | And there is yet another way Toontown
|
| often interconnected virtual worlds, so
| |
| | players learn there is value in
|
| even with these huge numbers, it is not
| |
| | cooperation. Some of the tasks available
|
| like pushing your way through Times
| |
| | to higher-level players allow them to
|
| Square on New Year's Eve.]
| |
| | earn jelly beans by helping out new
|
| Toontown is the first massively
| |
| | players. When these experienced players
|
| multiplayer game designed specifically
| |
| | see a Newbie fighting a Cog on the
|
| designed for younger kids (pre-teens, I
| |
| | street, they can join in and assist.
|
| think, though they don't specifically
| |
| | When the Cog is defeated, both the
|
| say.) In addition, many older kids and
| |
| | experienced player and the Newbie get
|
| even adults enjoy playing it. In the
| |
| | rewarded game at their own level.
|
| game you create, name and dress a
| |
| | Is it Boring?
|
| character, and then you take it out to
| |
| | Still, while the tasks at the start of
|
| play in the virtual world. Your character
| |
| | the game involve defeating only one Cog
|
| is the representation ("avatar") of you
| |
| | at a time and the tasks at higher levels
|
| playing in the world - it is the "you"
| |
| | require players to defeat hundreds of
|
| that other players know.
| |
| | Cogs on their way to liberate bigger and
|
| Although if you wanted to you could spend
| |
| | bigger buildings, the battles are very
|
| your entire time in Toontown merely
| |
| | similar. "Isn't that boring?" I asked
|
| running around the virtual world, the
| |
| | one "addicted" player. "After all it's
|
| "object" of the game is to defeat "Cogs,"
| |
| | basically the same thing over and over -
|
| members of the evil gang that wants to
| |
| | fighting Cogs."
|
| take over the town. The Cogs to fight
| |
| | "I like going up the levels," she
|
| come in many varieties and strengths. To
| |
| | replied. And of course the only way she
|
| defeat a Cog you employ "gags"- such as
| |
| | can do this is by learning to cooperate
|
| squirt bottles or pies in the face - that
| |
| | well with real people, in real time -
|
| you purchase with jelly bean currency
| |
| | while sitting at her own computer.
|
| that you earn in a number of ways.
| |
| | I encourage readers of this article to
|
| In your early days in Toontown, when you
| |
| | try Toontown, both with your kids, and
|
| have earned relatively few gags, you
| |
| | even on your own. (You can go to to get
|
| typically run around alone, deciding when
| |
| | started.) See how far you can get. If
|
| to confront a low-level Cog you pass in
| |
| | you happen to enjoy the experience, you
|
| the street. (You do this by running into
| |
| | can go on to the aforementioned "older
|
| it.) You and the Cog then square off and
| |
| | players'" games, where the enemies are
|
| do battle, taking turns throwing gags at
| |
| | fantasy monsters and the buildings
|
| each other. If you defeat the Cog, he
| |
| | castles to storm, yet where the
|
| explodes and you are rewarded with points
| |
| | principles of cooperation are basically
|
| towards additional gags. If the Cog
| |
| | the same. If you actually get addicted
|
| defeats you, you "die," which means you
| |
| | to cooperative play, don't blame me -
|
| lose all your gags (although,
| |
| | these games are designed to reel you in.
|
| importantly, you do not lose the
| |
| | But even if you don't get hooked yourself
|
| "experience" you attained - i.e. the
| |
| | - and the more you are from the "Digital
|
| types and levels of gags you are allowed
| |
| | Immigrant" generation the less likely it
|
| to purchase and use.)
| |
| | is that you will - hopefully you will
|
| There are a lot of other twists, but
| |
| | have learned this important and
|
| that's essentially the game: Earn and buy
| |
| | generally-overlooked lesson:
|
| gags, use them to fight Cogs.
| |
| | What keeps the kids playing these games
|
| But here's where the cooperative part
| |
| | is not the violence (that's all fake and
|
| comes in. As you move to higher
| |
| | the kids know it), but rather the ability
|
| experience levels, the tasks you are
| |
| | to work together with others to achieve
|
| required to accomplish become more and
| |
| | more and more difficult goals.
|
| more difficult. You often have to
| |
| | Can you think of any skill more useful
|
| "rescue" buildings that the Cogs have
| |
| | for children to spend their time
|
| taken over, buildings that have multiple
| |
| | learning? I can't.
|
| floors filled with high-level,
| |
| |
|
