To today’s parents video games are the new Rock ‘n Roll
That’s how Stamford, CT., psychologist Eric Schleifer described them in a discussion with 50 parents about video games recently. This forum, called “Using Video Games to Your Advantage: A Parent’s Guide,” was co-sponsored by Wilton Parent Connection, the Wilton PTA Council, the Wilton Youth Council, and the Wilton Library.
The forum proved what kids already know and what kids our generation and every other generation before it endured: parents don’t always understand the culture kids are immersed in and its importance. In this generation parents don’t understand their kids’ fascination with games and, because of the media’s portrayal of them as being violent and catalyst for laziness and unhealthy behavior, often feel like video games are dangerous or at the very least, an unnecessary distraction. Schleifer compared gaming to rock music and comic books, both thought to be somehow evil or a waste of time by our parents and the parents of our parents.
Read the rest of this entry »
I Heart Geeks Announced
cdv Software announced I Heart Geeks!, a puzzle game that challenges players to create sophisticated and humorous contraptions using dozens of objects and the laws of physics to solve over 100 puzzles. I Heart Geeks! is slated for a September/October 2008 release on the DS. Produced in cooperation with Marc Ecko Entertainment, the game features a tongue-in-cheek story and unique art style with lots of goofy puzzles.
Look for the game this fall.
Marc Ecko Entertainment Brings Dexter to Consoles
Yes. Dexter is making his way to consoles. Mind you, I said “Dexter”and not “Daxter.” The latter is the ottsel star of Sony’s hit Jak and Daxter series. Dexter, on the other hand, is the serial killer “hero”of the hit Showtime series bearing his name. Got that cleared up for you? Good.
While the news first broke late yesterday, today news was made official as Marc Ecko Entertainment announced it has entered into a production agreement with Showtime Networks to design a videogame based on the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning hit television series. The show follows Dexter Morgan, a forensic blood spatter expert for the Miami Dade Police Department who’s secretly a serial killer hunting down criminals who have somehow slipped through the cracks of the legal system. The agreement announced today means that Marc Ecko Entertainment will develop the property in collaboration with Showtime Networks to “guarantee its faithfulness to the spirit of the groundbreaking show.”
“Dexter is the extremely rare TV show with enough layers of action and tension to translate perfectly into a compelling video game,” said Marc Fernandez, Vice President of Marc Ecko Entertainment. “Our game designers, writers, and artists are going to give Dexter’s morally complex world the kind of interactivity that gamers will love.”
“Dexter is one of the most popular shows on Showtime with a particularly strong fan base among gamers,” said Len Fogge, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Digital Media and Research at Showtime Networks. “We’re confident Marc Ecko Entertainment’s team has the unique talents to take Dexter to the interactive space in the right way.”
Marc Ecko Entertainment handled the production side of 2005’s Getting Up and is currently working on an untitled project with developer Human Head. The Dexter game is in pre-production and Showtime Networks and Marc Ecko Entertainment are in talks with a handful of developers to bring the game to life. More details will be announced in upcoming months.
