TED tv & Star Wars meets Xbox360

Here's the thing. I fought playing video games for many, many years. Like my parents and many of yours, everyone thought our time would be better spent saving the world, or at least cleaning our rooms. Even at my 41 years of age, I find myself feeling slightly guilty if I spend a whole afternoon playing the latest release. Obviously, I'm more or less over it if I even have a blog about xbox. I mean, you can only take so much guilt before you figure out that the very thing you feel guilty about can relieve the guilt... Anyway! I found a really great TED tv talk about gaming and how it could save the world. Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world | Video on TED.com#.Tk1Tr0lPorE.facebook">
Jane McGonigal argues that games like WoW gives players the means to save worlds, and incentives to learn the habits of heroes. What if we could harness this gamer power to solve real world problems?
I like this idea. She shows an image of a young man on the verge of solving a very big (gamer) problem and the look of surprise and joy on his face is contagious. He went through a series of steps, failed, tried again in a different way and it's about to pay off. I'm familiar with this feeling. It's easy enough to take this idea into your real life as well. You may have a goal you are trying to reach. If you actually give yourself levels to reach and rewards for when you get there, you are using gaming to reach real goals. Debt, jobs, excercise, all can be 'gamified' if you will. Check out the link. It'll make you think.

So, my love and I are all excited about the new Star Wars console bundle pictured above. It's pricey, but we are in need of a new one as our Elite is experiencing technical difficulties. I have another xbox Arcade in the bedroom, but we are both such avid gamers that one will just not do it. Besides, I can justify the price based on this video alone! We'll be the coolest kids on the block! I can hardly contain myself...

So, hopefully, as time goes by, I'll get better at relaying my thoughts on...things, and... stuff. Y'know... Hope you enjoyed!