Mind, Music, and Technology

As this site is seeing some increase in traffic, a more detailed description of its purpose is likely warranted.

“On Mind, Music, and Technology” has now been add to the side bar.

Found this one at Game Politics.

Check out this neat integration of graphics and sound. The process of its creation is listed on the graphic artist’s website.

Solar, with lyrics. from flight404 on Vimeo.

Grand Theft Auto 4 seems to be the game about which many are basing, or throwing, their images of what they want games to represent. One corner is yelling that it is awful, rife with evil of the most heinous kind, while another claims it is the Citizen Kane of our time.

Though, it is hard for me to continue my self-espoused credentials as gamer by saying this, but I have to side with Penny Arcade on this one. The core gameplay is just not exciting enough to get me into it. I played about 3/4 of the way through the original GTA III and got bored. Based on reviews, it sounds like the storyline is the greatest thing since the Odyssey, but I’m not willing to put up with gameplay I don’t find enthralling enough just to get to it. Call me old, but I don’t have that kind of time on my hands.

In the meantime, Game Politics has put up several posts:

• FBI Stats Don’t Support Claims That GTA is Cop Killer Game
• Expert: Grand Theft Auto is Not Why Kids Join Street Gangs
• Police Chief: Most Players Realize GTA IV is Only a Game

Addnedum - (2008-04-30) I’ve been thinking about the post I made here and I’m being harsh on the game, especially without having tried it first. If I can get my hands on a copy, and more importantly some time to play it, I’ll post some more informed thoughts then.

Wordpress just makes it too easy to start a blog.

Ask the Gaming Doc, should function as a parallel site to this one. Along these lines, I am interested in starting a group discussion with parents concerned about how much gaming is too much, setting limits, joining play, etc. If you’re in the Chicago area and are interested, please drop me a line.

The blog and the group concept are forming ideas at this point, and I am trying to gauge interest.

Bavid Dailey of SL referred me to this excellent music and visual site, Chouchou. I’m presently standing in awe at some beautiful landscapes and sounds by this SL-only Japanese musician group.

Teleport here

“Chouchou is a Japanese music group which exists only in SecondLife. It was formed on July, 2007 searching for new possibilities of music.” If you’re not going to travel to SL, at least check out their myspace video. I’ve only listened to a couple of tracks so far, but I’ll be listening to the rest soon.

Their website is Chouchou.blogspot.com.

Well, I’m just ecstatic. The first review of Video Game Play and Addiction is in, courtesy of Adam Thierer, senior fellow of the Progress and Freedom Foundation.

I’m very happy that the book is receiving positive feedback.

The book began as the focus of my fellowship graduation paper. I had been growing tired of the nearly universal negative media reports on gaming, and it just felt like a natural thing on which I could study and report. Later, when several others said, “Well, why don’t you write a book?” - I did.

In working with games, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, music, and family, the book helps tie several things together for me. I think it would be an understatement to say I feel relieved with the book being published, even though the hard work of getting the book into the public sphere has really only just begun.

I hope that the book helps parents, kids, and just about anyone who thinks about games to consider what gaming means to themselves as individuals and as families. The text is about how people are different, how games are different, and how they may or may not fit. It is about learning, it is about play, and it is about community. All of these function together towards knowing what is healthy play and what is problematic.

Here’s a sample of the text.

Many huge amounts of thanks go out to everyone who has helped me, both directly and indirectly, in this adventure of putting a book together. You are wonderful.

Well, after about a year of work, it’s finally done. Video Game Play and Addiction: A Guide for Parents is now ready for pre-order:

(Note - there is also an e-book version available, but I’ve discovered it does not work on OS 10.5 until Adobe updates their reader. It seems to work fine on Windows XP, however.)

The discussions, both positive and negative, with regards to the interactions between kids and video games corresponds with the anxiety that comes with any unknown.

Hopefully, this book helps to ease some of this anxiety for those who play well, while also guiding those who indeed play problematically. As both a psychiatrist and player of video games, I have tried to keep an unbiased stance.

The chapter listing is as follows:

• Chapter 1 - Learning and Play
• Chapter 2 - Educating Through Video Games
• Chapter 3 - Concerns of Addiction
• Chapter 4 - Concerns of Violence and Aggression
• Chapter 5 - Guidance and Your Child
• Chapter 6 - Communities and the Future

Video Game Play and Addiction: A Guide for Parents can now be pre-ordered.

I would be happy to read your thoughts and comments.

A day of remembrance to remember those who have lost their lives is being held at the Big Easy sim in Second Life on April 17. Those who have experienced the loss of a friend in a virtual world are invited to participate in this full day community event. A listing of those participating and their times can be seen here. My performance time is 9am PST/11am CST.

Along these very same lines, thesixtyone is in process of mourning the loss and remembering the musician Michael P Miller who died April 8th. 2008.

More than memorials, these are recognitions that befriending someone online creates a very real relationship and that the loss of someone has a strong impact on a person and community.

An interesting commentary in a very well done animation: