Living my Fantasy in the Star Trek Universe

By day I am a paediatrician and a theologian. I captain a spaceship by night. The name of my  spaceship is USS Alexander. It is a Constitution class cruiser. I have since upgraded to USS Alexander H, and it is a Galaxy Dreadnought. I have a beautiful female human first officer called Number One, a Vulcan science officer and an Andorian engineering officer. Every night I undertake missions given to me by Star Fleet Command. Have I gone crazy as John Nash in the movie A Beautiful Mind (2001) or Sam Lowry in Brazil (1985)? Hardly. I am enjoying the simulated Star Trek Online (STO) game. For years I have waited for the Internet in my home to improve both in speed and bandwidth. Finally this year, it has allowed me to join thousands of Trekkies or Trekkers in this total immersion experience. Star Trek Online draws on almost all background materials from the television series; Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Enterprise, and the movies up to Star Trek: Nemesis. It does not include J. J. Abrams’ two recent reboot movies. In other words it remain in the original timeline where Vulcan was not destroyed. It continues about 30 years after the events of the movie Nemesis in the 25^th Century. Star Trek Online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Cryptic Studios which went live in February 2010.

The game is a gradually virtual expanding universe as every few months a ‘season’ was added to it. Each season is made up of a series of missions. The missions are developed by the game designers (who I suspect are all Trekkies) as if each mission is an episode of a Star Trek television series. The screen writing is so good that at times I have a sense of déjà vu. I feel I am actually living through an episode of Star Trek! It is that good. So far nine seasons had been released. These seasons are in order (1) Common ground; (2) Ancient enemies; (3) Genesis; (4) Crossfire; (5) Call to Arms; (6) Under siege; (7) New Romulus; (8) The sphere; and (9) A New Accord. All these are accessible for me to play free. Legacy of Romulus is the only season so far that one has to pay to play. It is sited between seasons seven and eight. Each season is located in one area of space so that I get to enjoy each television series accordingly. One season involves the Cardassians and the Dominion and I get to hang around Deep Space Nine. I can actually walk around the promenade and hang out in Quark’s Bar. One involves the Klingon while the Borg invasion is featured in another. The player acquire skills and is promoted. With promotion comes a new starship. The maximum rank in Federation is Vice-Admiral. I can play as one of the three sects: Federation, Klingon, and Romulan.

Fandom of Star Trek is huge. Fans come in various shape, sizes, ages and colours, yet they are united in their love of a concept of the adventures of a future spaceship or ‘wagon train to the stars’ created by Gene Rodenberry and subsequent writers and directors. Star Trek is a rich imaginary universe that has a consistency and continuity. With the premature cancellation of the television series Enterprise in 2005, there has not been any new television series. The timeline continues on in the Star Trek novels by Pocket books and the IDW comics. The two movies by J. J. Abrams Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek into Darkness (2013) is basically a reboot of the franchise which develops in a separate timeline. Fans themselves have not been idle. The fans created stories, novels, videos and mechanizing is enormous. Among the fans themselves, there are efforts to reach out to one another. This is especially capitalized by Star Trek convocations which are huge events and yearly highlights around the world. When a trekkie meet another trekkie, there is a special bond that comes from a shared ‘heritage’. That is something that is difficult to find in this postmodern world where the bonds of friendship, family and community are being dissolved in a daily basis.

There are good guys and villains in this universe. However they act in predictable fashion according to Star Trek rules. There are gun (phaser) battles on land (away team) and space battles. Yet there is no gore nor glorification of violence. One feels that one need to fight either for the sect one belongs to (Federation, Klingon, or Romulan), loyalty to friends, and honor. There is no senseless violence as in the world outside the virtual universe. In this sense in this construct of electrons there is still honor, decency and hope.

Hope was something that Star Trek offers in the decades of the 1960s. That period was a period of upheaval with the Vietnam War, the hippies, and drug abuse. Star Trek shows that people from different races can get along with each other; and achieve something together as a team. Each episode was a commentary on the sociopolitical situation but each episode ends with hope. Star Trek reminds us that we are better than we are. By pointing to the stars and boldly going where no man (and woman) has gone before, we can build a future for our children and our children’s children. The message that Star Trek brings is still relevant today. Maybe that is why I enjoy Star Trek Online so much. It reminds me of the ideals of Star Trek. It reassure me that there is always hope. And hope is what I need the most now.

Soli Deo Gloria

6 June 2014

Playing Crysis2 on my PS3

I am playing Crysis2. Challenging game with incredible computer graphics

From Wiki

Crysis 2 is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, that was released on March 22, 2011 (US). It is the sequel to the 2007 video game Crysis and Crysis Warhead. The story was written by author Richard Morgan. Another science fiction author, Peter Watts, was also consulted and wrote a novel adaptation of the game. It is the first game to showcase the CryEngine 3 game engine. Read more

I love the way I am able to customise the armour and weapon system.



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Playing Vanquish on XBox

Finished playing the scifi video game on Xbox. This is the type of games I enjoy- fast moving adrenalin pumping action, space stations, advanced technologies and detailed textured cut-scenes. There is a sense of immersion during gameplay (see plot here). This game is similar in concept to the Halo series but lack the sophistication of the Halo universe. The program is driven by the Havok gaming engine. After this types of games, watching sci-fi movies seems tame. Developed by Platinum and published by SEGA:

The story of VANQUISH™ is set in the near future. Russia and the United States are vying for ownership of the world’s fast-depleting energy resources and the US has constructed a space station in order to harness energy from the sun. Russian forces capture this space station and divert its harvested solar energy into a blast wave that destroys San Francisco, aiming to force the US into a total and unconditional surrender. In response, the US tasks its armed forces with recapturing the space station before the Russians can annihilate their next target –New York.
Directed by Shinji Mikami, the creator of the Resident Evil series, VANQUISH™ is a sci-fi shooter game that sees players take the role of Sam, a government agent kitted out with a futuristic battlesuit. A versatile war fighter with a huge arsenal of weaponry at his disposal, Sam also has an array of martial arts skills that he can use to take down his robot enemies.

Call of Duty: Black Ops

I have enjoyed the Call of Duty series and have been looking forward to this release Call of Duty: Black Opts. While the gameplay is almost the same, I like the improvement in storytelling and the battle scenes. However I feel that there was excessive and unnecessary violence in this game especially the torture scenes which did not contribute to the the storyline.

People has also asked me to why I play soldiers games. These are very violence games. I play the games accepting that in certain situation, you have to use violence to achieve your objectives. That means shooting the bad guys. Violence is used as a means to an end and not to glorify violence itself.

The present release are equally as good as the earlier release and I have had an enjoyable time playing on the Xbox.

Some of the Star Trek Games I have Enjoyed

Up the Next Level in my Gameplay

 I have been playing first, second and third person shooter games on my xBox and PS3 and I am kinda proud that I am gradually improving as a shooter in these games.Recently  I was playing Halo: Reach

 After finishing Halo: Reach, I thought I will play another type of game and selected a shooting game using airplanes.

 H.A.W.X.2 is a really challenging game for me to play because it demands much more hand -eyes coordination than the people shooters. Flying planes at high speed and shooting is much more difficult and challenging.

Playing H.A.W.K.2 is difficult. I am struggling and only managed to complete Mission Ten so far. Have I reached the limit of my ability to play this type of games because my reaction time due to my age is too slow? Have I reached my limits in terms of reaction time and hands-eyes coordination?

Personally I do not think so. I am not ready to give up yet. I still think you can teach old dogs new tricks.

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Playing Halo:Reach on my XBox

Have been playing Halo:Reach on my xBox the last few evenings - man, what an adrenalin rush. It offers what the previous Halo games offered and more. The previous games are Halo 1 or Halo:Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3 and its spinoffs, Halo 3:ODST and Halo Wars, all of which I have enjoyed tremendously. Not to mention the novels and comics based on the Halo universe.



The game takes place in the year 2552, where humanity is locked in a war with the alien Covenant on the human colony of Reach weeks prior to the events of Halo: Combat Evolved. Players control Noble 6, a member of an elite supersoldier squad, during the battle for the world of Reach. As the Covenant begin their assault on the planet, the UNSC begin their heroic yet ultimately futile effort to halt the brutal alien invaders.



I spent most of the time blasting away with my trusty weapons though recently I have found myself running away as fast as I can...where's my backup?

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Can Online Gaming Change the World?

Jane McGonigal: Game designer

Reality is broken, says Jane McGonigal, and we need to make it work more like a game. Her work shows us how.

Jane McGonigal asks: Why doesn't the real world work more like an online game? In the best-designed games, our human experience is optimized: We have important work to do, we're surrounded by potential collaborators, and we learn quickly and in a low-risk environment. In her work as a game designer, she creates games that use mobile and digital technologies to turn everyday spaces into playing fields, and everyday people into teammates. Her game-world insights can explain -- and improve -- the way we learn, work, solve problems, and lead our real lives.

McGonigal directs game R&D at the Institute for the Future, a nonprofit forecasting firm where she developed Superstruct, a massively multiplayer game in which players organize society to solve for issues that will confront the world in 2019. She masterminded World Without Oil, which simulated the beginning of a global oil crisis and inspired players to change their daily energy habits. McGonigal also works with global companies to develop games that build on our collective-intelligence infrastructure -- like The Lost Ring, a mystery game for McDonald's that became the world’s biggest alternate reality game, played by more than 5 million people. (Not to mention the delightful Top Secret Dance-Off, which taps that space in our brains where embarrasment and joy mingle.) She's working on book called Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Happy and How They Can Change the World.

"Instead of providing gamers with better and more immersive alternatives to reality, I want all of us to be become responsible for providing the world with a better and more immersive reality."

Jane McGonigal

Playing Mass Effect 2 on X-Box

Mass Effect 2 is an action role playing developed by Bioware and published by Electronic Arts. The game is a sequel to Mass Effect, the first game which was released in 2008 and was very well received by gamers. Mass Effect 2 was released on XBox and PC in January 26, 2010. The characters of the first game may be downloaded into the second game. I did not play the first game but started at the second game. However I was able to familarise myself to the Mass Effect universe very easily.

Mass Effect, the first game is set in the year 2183 AD. Thirty-five years prior, humankind discovered a cache of technology on Mars, supposedly built by a technologically advanced but long-extinct race called the Proteans. Studying and adapting this technology, humanity has managed to break free of the solar system and has established numerous colonies and encountered many different kinds of aliens within the galaxy. Utilizing alien artifacts known as Mass Effect, the various space-faring races are able to travel instantly across vast stretches of the galaxy. Mass Effect 2 started weeks after the first game in 2083.

The default character is Commander Shepard. The fascinating part is that you get to choose the class of your character (ranging from soldiers who are skilled with weapons to adepts who are skills with bionic energy). Throughout the game, you can choose the verbal or action response of your character (often a menu of 2-6 responses) which range from gentle to rude/aggressive. Apparently these responses will be taken into account during the game play and affects the outcome. Hence you have to slowly develop the character of your character as well as acquire experience, weapons and armour upgrades for your character and his ship, Normandy of which your character is the captain. Shepard has to recruit, arm and train a team of people with various skills to fight against an alien race called Collectors who are kidnapping human colonists. More on Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. The fans has their own Mass effect Wiki which has lots of information about the Mass Effect universe.

The cut scene graphics are very good with a good story line. I enjoyed playing the role of Shepard which includes recruiting and training his team. Flying around in a spaceship is fun and I like mining for minerals. Makes me think of Star Trek. The battles are adrenaline surging but winnable if you have a good team. I feel like I am being involved in an interactive science fiction movie/novel. It was a truly enjoyable experience.

One of Captain Shepard's role is to keep his team member's morale up. This often involves he talking to them and helping them to solve their personal problems. This is certainly good leadership and I am amused that an action role playing game actually utilises principles of good leadership. Apparently bad leadership will affect the outcome of the game.

I have enjoyed the game and am looking for a copy of the first game. Apparently there will be another game after this and I am looking forward to that too. The games also has spin-off to books and comics and I look forward to reading Mass Effect: Redemption (four issue comics) and Mass Effect:Revelation and Mass Effect: Ascension (last two are novels).

I rate Mass Effect as on par with Halo, God of War, Gears of War and Call of Duty.


happy gaming!

Star Trek Online

In Star Trek Online, the Star Trek universe will appear for the first time on a truly massive scale. In this massively multiplayer online game from Cryptic Studios, players can pioneer their own destiny as Captain of a Federation starship. Or, they can become a Klingon Warlord and expand the Empire to the far reaches of the galaxy. Players will have the opportunity to visit iconic locations from the popular Star Trek fiction, reach out to unexplored star systems, and make contact with new alien species. With Episode Missions, every moment spent playing Star Trek Online will feel like a new Star Trek episode in which you are the star. Immerse yourself in the future of the Trek universe as it moves into the 25th century: a time of shifting alliances and new discoveries.

Star Trek Online's official release date: February 2, 2010, in North America, and February 5, 2010, in Europe.

How do Star Trek Online and the new movie interact, and where does the timeline diverge?

(Click the above image to see the entire timeline.)

In the movie, two characters travel back in time from the year 2387. When Nero arrives in the year 2233, he disrupts the time continuum, creating an alternate reality from the point of his arrival. Star Trek (the new movie) takes place in this alternate reality. This is explained in the film in a conversation between Uhura and Spock on the bridge of the Enterprise.

Star Trek Online is set in the "prime" Star Trek reality. This is the timeline of the five television series and the first 10 movies. It is the world in which the Gorn attacked Cestus III, Kirk fought Khan in the Mutara Nebula, Picard explored the galaxy, the Federation fought the Dominion War, Voyager was stranded in the Delta Quadrant and Captain Archer and the crew of the NX-01 showed us how it all began.

Events in the movie that happened in the prime timeline (the destruction of Romulus, and the disappearance of Spock and Nero) have affected STO. You can learn more about the aftermath of these events in the Path to 2409 and in STO itself.

So how can the movie and STO be in different realities? When working on Star Trek, screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman referenced the theory of quantum mechanics, which allows for the simultaneous existence of parallel timelines and universes. Parallel universes are self-contained, separate realities that exist as a consequence of different choices and outcomes. This concept was explored in the TNG episode "Parallels," in which there were thousands of alternate timelines (and thousands of Enterprises!). It also is seen in the Mirror Universe, which is a darker take on the world of the Federation.

There are many, many stories to tell in the prime universe. The fallout of the destruction of Romulus and the upheaval that causes in the Alpha and Beta quadrants creates storytelling opportunities that we at Cryptic didn't even imagine when we first began working on STO. We're excited by the possibilities, and fans should be as well. The best is yet to come.

more

Playing Batman: Akham Asylum

As a fan of Bob Kane's fictional hero Batman, I have always been wary of computer games featuring the Batman. Batman: Akham Asylum was a pleasant and enjoyable surprise for me. It was not as dark and frightening as the movie The Dark Knight especially with the new terrifying Joker. This game hearkens back to the golden age of Batman where good fights evil but with a delightful sense of make-believe comic book like feel. Even the Joker looks like the comic book character. I played the game on Xbox.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is an action-adventure stealth video game based on DC Comics' Batman for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics. The PS3 and Xbox versions of the game were released on August 25, 2009 in North America and August 28, 2009 in Europe., and the PC version was released on September 15th in North America and the September 18th in Europe.

Batman: Arkham Asylum, written by veteran Batman writer Paul Dini, is based on the long-running comic book mythos, as opposed to most other Batman games which are adaptations of the character in other media besides the source material. The Joker, Batman's archenemy, has instigated an elaborate plot from within Arkham Asylum where many of Batman's other villains have been incarcerated. Batman investigates and comes to learn that the Joker is trying to create an army of Bane-like creatures that threaten Gotham City, and is forced to put a stop to the Joker's plans. (Wiki)

The gameplay was easy with minimal training required. The storyline was also smooth and engaging. As in all Batman-Joker stories, there is good versus bad, good use of technology versus bad use of, virtues versus evil personality, and boils down to a mano-a-mano between two opposites of the same coin.

Until I played this, I did not realise how vulnerable Batman is. Even with his armour which one could upgrade during the gameplay, he is still vulnerable. This is more so in that he does not kill and he does not use a gun. Compared to other superheroes who can fly, have cosmic blasters and other weapons, Batman have to depend on his stealth and martial art skills. Sometimes during the gameplay, I wish he has something to shoot with.

Interestingly

The game received extremely high praise from critics, earning a 92% average on GameRankings, a game aggregator. This also earned it a spot in the Guinness World Records for "Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game". Sales were also high, selling over 2 million copies within its first two weeks of its console release. (Wiki)

This is a computer game with moderate amount of violence (but no gory scenes). I think I will play it again.

'nuff said!

Will Video Games be Better than Life?

Computer Games for Christians

Here is a wonderful list of computer games for Christians. Hmm, I don't see Halo, Gears of War or Command & Conquer.

100 Computer Games Especially for Christians

Whether you’re a parent of an impressionable child or an adult who’s fed up with lewd and violent themes in video games, there is hope for moral gamers. These 100 computer games promote Christian values, focus on Bible lessons and Scripture, and avoid the scandalous environments of mainstream games, without giving up on fun.

read more

Fighting the Halo Wars

I know, I know. I am supposed to be preparing my sermon, writing my PhD dissertation, teaching medical students and saving lives. However, I just cannot resist the latest offering of an X-Box game from the Halo universe - Halo Wars. Having enjoyed playing Halo 3 which is a third person shooter, Halo Wars is a real time strategy game, Command and Conquer style! Just what I need when the family is away overseas and I am home alone.

Halo Wars was released in Japan on February 26, PAL territories on February 27, and in North America on March 3, 2009. It is the last project to be developed by Ensemble.

The story is set about 20 years before the first Halo game, Halo: Combat Evolved (2001). It involves a war between humans and the alien Covenant and the introduction of the Flood.

I find the gameplay as good as Command and Conquer though this is the first time I am using the X-Box console. I have been playing Command and Conquer on my PC. Though the console is not a versatile as the PC keyboard, I do not find any difficulty adjusting.

What is impressive about the game is the cut scenes. The graphics are so good that it should be made into a movie and personally I felt it should be.

It is an enjoyable game, not too intense and adrenaline pumping as the Halo trilogy and is great fun.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3

Nate Ralph in his review of Red Alert 3 in WIRED (October 29, 2008) notes

For the most part, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 delivers the same sort of campy, alternate-universe take on real-time strategic warfare that the series' fans have grown to love. But this latest skirmish in the perennial war between the Allies and the Soviet forces lets you bring a friend to the battle.

The ability to engage in a cooperative campaign gives the game's hectic combat a welcome twist. For the first time in any strategy game, two players will have a chance to tackle a campaign side by side. This means constructing complementary armies, coordinating tactical strikes and fighting difficult computer enemies while working their way through the game's three campaigns and 27 missions.

I managed to buy the game on Friday. Unfortunately my human co-gamer has to go back to Australia the next day so I ended up playing the game alone. It will be interesting to play this game with my co-gamer. The interface is good and as I have souped up my VRAM to 8Gig, my computer gave me good performance without being 'hung-up.' It is an enjoyable game, similar to all other Command and Conquer. This time I get to play the Russians, Allied and Japan. Just finished the Japanese part of the game (9 missions).

It is enjoyable because it employs a gaming engine I am familiar with and challenging as I figure out the strategy of the game writers. Or as Nate Ralph commends, "the reason most people pick up a strategy game in the first place is to meet new and interesting people and crush them mercilessly." Hmm. That too.

read Nate Ralph's review here

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Is Computer Games Bad for Your Kids?

Playing Halo 3 on XBox 360

Since getting a Xbox 360, I have played Ninja Gaiden 2, a third person fighter and Gears of War 3, a third person shooter. Encouraged that a baby boomer can still play Xbox games, I next turned my attention to Halo 3, a first person shooter video game.

I soon discovered that playing a first person shooter is different from the others. It demands a more rapid respond time, lightning fast hand-eye coordination and good peripheral vision. I find that after a steep learning curve I was able to handle the game well. This is personally very encouraging. This means that my neuro-pathways are still malleable to changes. The old school of neurosciences taught that our brain have a fixed number of neurons and neuro-pathways at birth and the rest of our lives is a period of gradual degeneration of neurons and neuro-pathways. Newer findings now find that our brains continue to grow new neurons and develop new neuro-pathways throughout our lives. This is encouraging.

Halo 3 is a well designed game by Bungie for the Xbox 360 platform. The game play is good with seamless merging of game play and cut scenes. The graphic in the cut scenes are fantastic and I almost feel I am watching an interactive movie. I play the role of Master Chief who is a soldier in a Spartan body armour, a cybernetically enhanced supersoldier, as he wages war in defense of humanity, assisted by human Marines as well as an allied alien race called Elites, which is led by the Arbiter. The universe-building mythos of Halo is good though at times confusing. Halo 3's story centers on the interstellar war between 26th century humanity, led by the United Nations Space Command, and a collection of alien races known as the Covenant.I am glad I have read five Halo novels (The Flood, First Strike, Fall of Reach, The Cole Protocol and Contact Harvest ) before playing this game.

Aside from acting and shooting as a soldier, I get to drive bikes, jeeps, planes and of course, save the universe from a fate worse than death. What more could a guy ask for? It was with a satisfied grunt that I finished the game over the three days of the Chinese New Year (my daughter helped a bit). I have not played the other two games but apparently Halo 3 completes the events started in the other two thus concluding the trilogy.

Playing Gears of War 2

Completed the game Gears of War 2 in 4 days. Gears of War 2 is a tactical third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games. It was published by Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360 . I am quite satisfied with our performance. My daughter and I played a two person team and we managed to complete the game without using any cheats or walkthrough (ahem).

No, I am not entering my second childhood or becoming senile. Though in a couple of years I will be eligible to watch movies at half price which may not be a bad thing. I want to understand the younger generation and one of the ways to do that is to do what they are doing. I have been exploring their use of the Internet (hence bloggings, Facebooks, etc). Now I have included exploring their computer videos games.

Gears of War 2 takes place six months after the detonation of the Lightmass Bomb at the end of the first game. Though most of the Locust Horde was destroyed, the explosion also caused much of the liquid Imulsion underground to vaporize, causing a fatal disease called rustlung to spread among the diminished human population. After months of peace, the cities of Tollen and Montevado suddenly and mysteriously disappear underground, leading the COG to suspect the resurgence of the Locust. Soon after, the once impenetrable Jacinto, one of the last remaining safe havens for humans, begins to show signs that the same fate awaits it. In order to stop the fall of Jacinto, the COG responds with a large-scale counter-offensive against the Locust. Senior Producer Rod Fergusson says "In order to save Jacinto, [the COG] have no choice but to take the war to the Locust." source

The gameplay is not easy. I find that I have to train myself to use the XBox console which consists of little colored buttons. It is also a high adrenaline fast moving game so in my excitement I always pressed the wrong buttons. It is stressful too and maybe I should check my blood pressure. Compared to my daughter I find that my response time is slower. I take longer to analyse fast moving color images and formulate a response. However that become easier later in the game as I completed my learning curve. I am gratified that it is still possible to learn to play computer games at my age. I guess the neuro-pathways I use will be different from those my daughter is using but we achieve our objective in the end.

I discovered that it is a fallacy that gamers are interested in the violence and the bloody gore. I do not deny that these are present. Nevertheless I discovered that gamers are more interested to achieve their mission goals or defeat the 'big boss.' They will try a many different approaches as possible until they have achieved their goals. I believe that this is a mode of learning, maybe different from the mode of learning we older folks are used too.

In the final analysis, it is fun and I get to do a team gameplay with my daughter.

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Playing Ninja Gaiden 2 on X Box

My daughter received a XBOX as a birthday present after Christmas. I have always wanted to try out the XBOX and there is one game I really like to try out on it and that is Ninja Gaiden. Ninja Gaiden is a mixture of role playing game and first person shooter, only he uses ninja equipment. So my daughter got me the game software and I have been spending the last seven days playing the game.

I really surprised my self when I started the game because it is a difficult game requiring a lot of hand eye coordination, concentration and an ability to react fast to threats. Initially it was difficult as I was unfamiliar with the game console. However, as the game proceeds. I became better at it. I find that my learning curve is steep but effective.

It was hard work as I sat hours after hours in the adrenaline pumping game, under stress to perform correctly and to stay alive. The ninja have certain fighting skills I have to master; his weapons and projectiles, his health and chi powers.

The game play was enjoyable. It is like a interactive novel where you are a hero and the outcome of the novel depends on what you do. Although there is not much area for character development, I was gripped by the storyline, wanting to see how it turns out. The short clips of video between major section are good, equivalent to those you see on the cinema screen. The only problem I have with this game is the violence - ninja fighting involves killing and slashing. There are lots of blood and flying body parts. As I thought about it, this is no worse than watching Frank Miller's movie 300.

What amazes me in the hours I spent on the game is that the game itself has many built-in principles of learning especially self directed learning. Though I have been an advocate of computer games as a medium of learning, I did not realise that in a game like Ninja Gaiden, the need to utilise the principles of learning is required before one can play the game well. And I think that is the beauty of the game. One can have a lot of fun without realising that one is learning or developing learning or problem solving skills.

Here are my five observations:

(1) To play the game, one need a satisfactory eye-hand coordination. It is a fast moving game so what the eyes see must be translated into hand movement quickly. Learning to do this takes times but it is a pre-requisite to play the game. So it is learning by doing. Repetition until your eyes coordinate fast enough with your fingers.

(2) The second principle is persistence. A game player can only finish a game by being persistent. He or she must be willing to spend hours repeating the same number of moves until they get it right. This is essential because the game will not allow you to proceed until one has done so.

(3) Game play require thinking about strategy. This is reflection in learning. When an approach doesn't work in the game, the player will think of another approach, and another, and another, until he or her hit on the correct one. The player is taught not be afraid to fail but to try try again until successful.

(4) During the game, players have to be observant for clues and items they can pick up which will lead to the next level of game play. In other words, they are being taught data collection.

(5) Playing this game need high concentration, commitment and focus. I believe this is the same with intense study.

I find it interesting that playing an XBox game involve the pedagogy/teaching principles of repetition, persistent, reflection, observation and commitment.

In seven days I finished 10 chapters out of 14. This my daughter tells me is pretty good. I guess you can still teach an old dog new tricks.


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