Games Games Games!

Happy Guitar Hero 3 weekend!

This greeting might not mean much to you but it does to just about anyone who has played any of the Guitar Hero video games. And I know what you're thinking... "Video games!? What a waste of my time!" And depending on your interests and personality, I can't disagree or agree with you. If you believe that it is a waste of your time, then it probably is. However, video games have become a mainstream media that has branched out beyond anything anyone imagined possible when they first saw two bars knock a little white square around in Pong.

It's true, video games is a multi-billion dollar industry on par with music and movies. If you don't believe me, just take a look at the numbers. Halo 3, possibly the most anticipated title to be released in recent history, took in $170 million in its first DAY. That's $7.083 million per hour and over $118,000 per minute! I don't care who you are, that's a lot of money. Also, there are four million people in the United States playing an online game called World of Warcraft... That's more people than there are farmers in the US!

Video games have definitely jumped out of a niche market and have moved into the mainstream light. With that being said, how did this happen? What caused so many people to take interest in video games? While there are multiple reasons to look at, one is quite obvious. The video game industry has managed to evolve and adapt to its marketplace and audience. Nintendo has done the best out of the three major players with their two systems, the Wii and the DS.

Most people have heard about the Nintendo Wii at this point, but in case you haven't it is a video game system that uses physical interaction beyond just using your thumbs. By means of the "Wii-mote" a player can wield a sword, use it a tennis racket, golf club, or conductor's wand. The potential really is limit-less and Nintendo has done a great job of thinking outside the box. The game that shows the systems most potential, is also one of the simplest: Wii Sports.

Wii Sports puts the player(s) in a variety of games including tennis, baseball, golf, boxing, and bowling. The game has become so popular that it is now being used in hospitals under the moniker "Wii-hab" in which patients rebuild muscle functionality by playing Wii Sports. It has also worked its way into retirement homes. There are even tournaments being held with teams, uniforms, spectators, the whole works! Check out this video of the Erickson Sports' Nintendo Wii Bowling Championship!



And it's not just physical activity either. Nintendo also has a game series called, "Brain Age" for it's DS (or Dual Screen) system. The game has multiple excercises that stimulate the brain and flex mental muscle. Here's an excerpt from the Nintendo website:

"Brain Age is inspired by the research of Dr. Ryuta Kawashima, a prominent Japanese neuroscientist. His studies evaluated the impact of performing certain reading and mathematic exercises to help stimulate the brain. Brain Age presents quick mental activities that help keep your DS brain in shape. Activities include quickly solving simple math problems, counting people going in and out of a house simultaneously, drawing pictures on the Touch Screen, reading classic literature out loud, and more. You can also play sudoku, the number puzzle game which has become an extremely popular feature in U.S. newspapers."

Brain Age has also proven to be an effective tool in hospitals, but rather than physical rehabilitation, Brain Age has become a great tool for helping alzheimers patients as well as keeping everyday people's minds sharp. The DS has become a haven for games that are out of the ordinary and used to test memory. Other games include Cooking Mama and Flash Focus.

The innovation doesn't stop with Nintendo either. Going back to Guitar Hero, the game helps players develop a different kind of hand-eye coordination that would only be used by being musically proficient. Now, players can pick up the Guitar Hero controller and rock out without having to know how to read sheet music or any of the jargon that comes with learning how to play the guitar. This concept is even being extended with the upcoming game Rock Band in which you can play guitar, bass, drums, or belt out the vocals.

This entry is really just hitting the tip of the iceberg when it comes to games hitting the mainstream. So to get the purpose of this post... Next time you hear about a violent video game that hits the market like a Grand Theft Auto or Manhunt, just remember that for every game of that subject matter, there are just as many, if not more, that help advance the player mentally, physically and creatively.

Video games are no longer just in a niche market and I, for one, am greatly looking forward to what they can become in the years ahead.

Week of Firsts

This is a week of firsts for me here on KFIZ. Not only will I be out at a high school football game by myself for the first time, I will also be hosting Saturday's Breakfast Club for the first time without someone else guiding me along the whole way through. I'm a bit nervous, but more excited than anything.

For the football game tonight, I'm really not worried at all. I'm looking forward to it very much as football is one of my largest interests. It should be a good game as the St. Mary's Springs Ledgers take on the Winnebago Lutheran Vikings. I won't be calling a full game of play-by-play or color commentary as Wade and Hoffy will be in Appleton calling the Fond du Lac game against Appleton North. Wouldn't it be something to see the Cardinals upset North after their first win of the year last Friday? Could be really cool.

As for the Breakfast Club, yeah I'm a little nervous but I'm really excited to finally get into the mix there. I actually really like learning new things and these last three months have been nothing but. However, I never feel completely comfortable with the things I learn until I do them myself without any help. Either I fall on my face and learn from my mistakes or fly through with superb results and realize that it's not as difficult as I make it out to be. Even though I hope for the latter option, either way I get the job done and move on to the next time feeling more confident.

So all in all, things in the KFIZ family are moving along really well and I'm really looking forward to my first year at the KFIZ Halloween party coming up on the 28th! I just have to come up with a costume. Any suggestions?

New guy?

Yup, that's me. I'm "The New Guy." You'll notice I use that description in my sub-title quite plentifully because, frankly, it's what I am and will be known as for quite awhile. It's not so bad, really. It has been fun coming in and learning something new just about every day. It has also been quite a challenge trying to remember it all and I'm lucky that I take abundant notes or I'd be in a heap o' trouble. I'm constantly going back to my notebook to look up the tasks that don't happen all too often.

For example: I was asked by Wade to make sure that some of the settings for our afternoon programming were in the right place at the right time and I definitely would not have known if it weren't for my trusty notebook. I've even given him a new name: Fluffy. Some might say that a man's best friend is his dog, but since I don't have a dog, looks like my best friend is my Mead 1 subject college rule 70 sheet notebook, a.k.a. Fluffy.

Can you imagine taking Fluffy out for a morning walk so that it doesn't leave those shavings near the binding on your carpet? That's a tough mess to clean up. What about taking it to the notebook park so that they can frolic and romp with those of their kind? Fluffy loves playing in the park but gets scared when the bigger traper keepers and binders are there. Poor Fluffy.

Fluffy and I have been through a lot and when I see sparkly new notebooks on the shelf that tempt me from my dearest friend, I just look back on the fond memories we have with our pals Bic and Pilot and remeber that blood drawn from papercuts is thicker than waterproof paper.

Human LCD

If you think that the fans of your favorite team are the most creative around, then you have to see what these South Korean students do to cheer on their classmates on the soccerfield. Even more unbelievable is that they are using their clothes to do this! A jacket with one color on the outside and one color on the inside that they can open up to reveal a shirt with a third color is all they need. Now if only they put as much time and effort into their soccer programs as they do with the cheers, maybe South Korea could be a World Cup contender!

1st Post!

Hello!

I'm pleased to add my first post to my brand new blog courtesy of KFIZ!

In case you haven't noticed, I am the new guy around the block and I couldn't be happier. The entire crew here at KFIZ have welcomed me in with open arms and I thank you for welcoming me via your radio.

Since I'm the new guy, I figured I should share some information to help you get to know who I am and where I come from.

I was born in Appleton and lived in New London until I was around three or four years of age. I don't remember much about living there other than having the chicken pox, riding my big wheel, and running in fear from the neighbor's dog who chased me only because I ran. (I was three, how should I know that if you stop running the dog does too?!) My family then moved to Oshkosh which is where I spent most of my time growing up. I went through elementary, middle, and high school in Oshkosh and graduated as an Oshkosh West Indian/Wildcat.

After high school, I went to Ripon College and originally wanted to pursue a career in theatre. One semester into my four years in college the acting bug apparently left me and I decided radio was for me. Four years later I graduated with a Mass Media Management Major and a minor in Theatre. That puts me right here in the mix at KFIZ!

I grew up with two sisters and strong family ties (much like Michael J. Fox did!). I am a huge football fan and I just recently got into hockey as well courtesy of some great friends. Other interests include the typical lot: movies, music, and video games (more on that in another post). I'm not a huge fan of TV but there are a few shows that I'll watch that aren't sports related: Rescue Me, Scrubs, and Lost.

That about sums it up for the first post. If you have any questions what-so-ever, please don't hesitate to ask!

Thanks for welcoming me into the KFIZ family!