VGL are touring all over the world, and are hitting the Los Angeles area on June 4th, right on the cusp of video game extravaganza known as E3. They are doing pre-sales for their LA show (password HALO) taking place at the historic Greek Theater. In the next six months, they also are touring throughout Canada, Singapore, Romania and of course the U.S.

For more info:
Video Games Live | Ticketmaster
Video Games Live

Full E3 Coverage:
Los Angeles Examiner | Games & Hobbies
E3 Insider
G4 | E3 2009 Headquarters
IGN | E3 Liver Press Conference
Gamespot | E3 Coverage

Not really, it’s a NBC Universal site so it is really just a clever way for them to exploit their library of odd and aging programs, much like Turner’s 1992 brain-child, Cartoon Network which was a way for him to play Hannah Barbara cartoon and such. Then again, that gamble seemed to work out in his favor.

If you haven’t browsed its library, do so sometime. It is a mish-mash of documentaries, classic cartoons, sitcoms and movies, and a few amusing odd-balls. Each program is packaged with pre-roll advertising at the begining of each program, and a spattering throughout as well as a post-roll ad at the end, so you will have plenty of time to re-fill that bowl of popcorn.

In the Kids & Family section, you will find everything from classic Woody WoodPecker, Abbott & Costello shorts, and animated Spiderman to original 1974 episodes of Land of the Lost and Charles in Charge (with a young Scott Baio) to newer programs like Veggie Tales, Harold and the Purple Crayon. Currently the Family Channel only has 72 programs but the array is promising. They even have a few documentaries to choose from including Dinosaurs; Giants of Patagonia and Cosmic Voyage, narrated by Morgan Freeman.

I have been casually shopping around for a video projector for my laptop, so I can project streamed movies against a sheet in our backyard for my kids and their friends in the neighborhood. Whether it is a a special occassion or a family affair, consider Hulu’s Family Channel another option for the family.

Each set of four finger puppets comes in a box that easily converts to a puppet theatre, and includes a playbill with biographical information about each character, and suggestions for how to get the most from your finger puppet set.

$22 bucks via New York Public Library Gift Shop

Get ready to load up the kids and geek out in grand style humming along to the theme to Halo 3 with Video Games Live (VGL) because they may be coming to the concert hall near you. They are an amazing multimedia concert event featuring music from the most popular video games of all time. Top orchestras & choirs perform along with exclusive video footage and music arrangements, synchronized lighting, solo performers, electronic percussionists, live action and unique interactive segments to create an explosive entertainment experience!

VGL are touring all over the world, and are hitting the Los Angeles area in June right around the time of E3. They are doing pre-sales for their LA show (password HALO) taking place at the historic Greek Theater. In the next six months, they also are touring throughout Canada, Singapore, Romania and of course the U.S.

Video Games Live vis a vis KidPoop.Com

Here’s a great opportunity to spend some quality time with the kids, perhaps learn something about how computers are built or just geek-out with them and save a few bucks in the process. You can design and custom build pc just for gaming for a fraction of what they cost in the stores.

You can also get upgrade kits to increase your ram or replace your CPU. In theory, all you need is a screwdriver and you can save $100′s. The basic kit at Easy As My PC (which starts at $1,200+) comes with a 2.8G Core 2 Duo, 2G SDRAM and a graphics card option – that’s a pretty good start and it’s definitely a kit with room to grow. They include plain English (gosh, I hope so!) instructions with lots of illustrations and full manufacturer warranties.

Anybody privy to high-end PC prices know that with a little digging you can find some better bargains but the attraction to this type of package is that you know everything will fit and is properly rated for the motherboard and so forth.

Related Links:
Build Gaming Computer | Custom Gaming Computers
Easy As My PC | Gaming DIY PC Kits
Buzzle | The Secret to Build Your Own Gaming Computer
About.Com | Build Your Own Gaming PC

Perhaps it’s a rainy day or a snowy one, or maybe the kids have finished all their homework and they’ve built every puzzle in the house or they’re just driving you a little crazy and the usual tricks aren’t working. Enter Kongregate, a website with over eleven thousand free games to play.

I understand there’s a time and place for mindless drivel and let it be said, I am a huge proponent of limited screen time for kids and parents alike, be it television, game console or computer screen time. Whenever I try to talk about the redeeming qualities of video games and the likes of, it’s as if I am trying to argue the nutritional value of Twinkies.

Depending on the genre and the game, there is some value in some of them. Personally, I am drawn to builders, multi-players, strategy games and puzzle solvers. One could argue that these have a fair number of redeeming values assuming they are well designed and executed, sure some may think I am stretching here but I concur, it beats watching re-runs.

Many feel like “sketches” of games with placeholder art, stick figures and all, while others have a very impressive professional ‘gloss to them. But when you get down to game play many of them are quite fun, dare I say (a tad) addictive. With titles like Shopping Cart Hero, Fantastic Contraption, and Monsters’ Den there is plenty to explore. Set the egg timer (otherwise, you’ll lose track of time) and have a blast.

I did not know a thing about this site stumbling in, and all I know about it (stumbling out) is that I look forward to exploring it again and again and again. This is a quiet reminder that games (of the casual kind, at least) have the potential of being whimsical, artful and thoroughly enjoyable for all ages.

On the surface, there is a wonderful cause and effect aspect to most of them but there is also some very clever ones as well. Bookmark it for a rainy day and take the kids along!

Orisinal: Morning Sunshine

We were greeted at the Rose Bowl parking lot by a small army of Rose Parade workers (known simply as “White Suitors” because of their pristine white suits and white straw hats which are a throwback to the Parade’s 100 history), that directed us with mechanical precision to an open field that quickly swelled into a tightly packed lot full of SUV’s and Minivans.

We arrived kinda early, so they lines moved faster than we could scoot our kids along and we were on our way to one of the many chartered school buses taking us across town to the floats. Knowing that three Park N’Ride locations were feeding bus-loads of us to the same neighborhood, things got pretty congested. The three parking locations are the Rose Bowl, Pasadena City College, and the Community Education Center in Pasadena.

If you are planning on going here are some parent tips to make the trip a little easier;

• Go Early! - The streets fill up late morning, if you can afford to get there when they open to the general public (9am), you will have a much easier experience. We got there around 10-10:30am and it was filling up quickly! When we were leaving (early afternoon), the ticket line was twice the length as it was for us!
• Bring your most nimble and lightest stroller – We have three kids and opted not for the double stroller and that was a wise decision.
• Pack drinks and snacks - They do have delicious kettle corn, funnel cake and other county fair favorites at a price. For families visiting on a budget, pack a bag of sandwiches and drinks (non-alcoholic).
• Wear comfortable shoes - It will be crowded and you will be moving at a leisurely pace. Skateboards, roller skates, bicycles, tricycles, Segways and wagons are not permitted.
• Bring cash - $7 for anyone over the age of 5 yrs. and $3 bucks for parking, but the ticket booth takes plastic, not to worry. Be warned though, if you’re yearning for some of that tasty funnel cake you best be packing some cash in your wallet. There are only two ATMs at the venue, sponsored by the Pasadena Federal Credit Union. ATMs are located near the West (Red) Gate and at the corner of Washington and Sierra Madre Boulevards.
• Download the free Audio Tour - The Tournament of Roses is currently offering a free audio tour of the floats featured in the 120th Rose Parade.  The audio tour can be downloaded from the “podcast” area on iTunes. We did. Since we have small children, we listened to most of it on the car ride there, so it was a good primer for what we were about to see.

If you want to sit down and take a break, check out the 15 minute documentary about the making of a float for the Rose Parade at the 1600 theater at Pasadena High School. It puts some perspective on the massive effort put forth every year. I guarantee you won’t watch the parade the same way.

Some of the highlights of the showcase for me was being able to look into the underbelly of these homemade monstrosities. Many of the ones with heavy animatronics rigs looked like they had full server racks next to the driver’s seats! Sure that is probably on of the geeker fun facts, but it really is interesting to get up close to these works of art after seeing them on TV.

Float Detail | 2009 Rose Parade Float Showcase

Our feelings about video games and children are the same as children and any form of media (books, TV shows, movies, et al), we only choose age appropriate material, and we’re with them when the choice is made and we discuss the pro’s and con’s of each along the way. That said, once you spark up the console and slip the game in, playing a game with your kids can be a great way to bond with the kids and fun way to blow off a rainy afternoon.

I understand that there are a lot of “Best Gifts” lists out right now, this list is looking at the following aspects of each game; superior and original game concept, fantastic and unique visual direction, and “play” factor (meaning does it ‘hook’ you in for the full ride).

OKAMI [PS2/Wii]

This artful CapCom title originally developed by the famed Clover Studio for PS2 (2006), has recently been released for Wii [ESRB: TEEN]. In the timeless battle against stagnant and redundant gaming concepts (when was the last time you were really blown away by the sheer creativity and ingenuity of a video game?), Okami blasted onto the scene during the waning hours of PS2′s heyday (if you can call it that) and gave us this unique gaming experience, and now developer, Ready at Dawn, has transposed this little beauty with great affect to the Wii console;

There’s a blissful moment in the first hour of Okami, one that is repeated several times throughout the game’s epic tale: Tasked with restoring an afflicted sapling to its former beauty, you bring it to life with a swirl of your virtual paintbrush. The sapling bursts with light, a melody of soft pink flowers blooms on its young branches, and lush green meadows breathlessly sweep away the cursed countryside, returning vitality to the diseased landscape. It’s a moment that stays with you, and it represents the sheer joy of playing Okami.” ~ Okami GameSpot Review (Wii)

See for Yourself What the Critics Say:
GameSpot
MetaCritic
GameRankings

WORLD OF GOO [PC/Mac/Wii]

This innovative, dreamy physics-based puzzler is totally addictive. I can only hope they are developing it for the iPhone as well as the PSP, since the game controller potential is already there. Let me point out – you will not find this on the shelves or at Amazon for the Wii, but you can get it as a download via WiiWare.

Since this game has been filed under “casual” as in Casual Games [ESRB: Everyone], I walked into it blind, knowing very little about it. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the visual beauty and stunning simplicity levied against the easy-to-play, hard-to-master puzzle aspect of it. Give it a go!

See for Yourself What the Critics Say:
GameSpot
MetaCritic
GameRankings

DE BLOB [Wii/PC/IP/DS]

In short, it is a thoroughly enjoyable romp for the whole family [ESRB: Everyone]. This title is fresh and clever for the kids and also smart and very playful for the parents. The evil INKT Corporation, led by the dictatorial Comrade Black, has drained all the color from Chroma City, turning it into a drab, monochromatic metropolis. It has also turned its once diverse and colorful citizens, the Raydians, into sullen, homogeneous Graydians. Blob joins forces with a resistance movement called the Color Underground to bring color back to Chroma City and liberate its people. Obviously, the game dwells (albeit light heartedly) on the theme of political oppression, yet it can be viewed as one big visual metaphor about the role of art in a free society – how many games out there do that!

See for Yourself What the Critics Say:
GameSpot
MetaCritic
GameRankings

GUITAR HERO | WORLD TOUR [Xbox 360/PS3/PS2/Wii]

Now capable of the full band experience, you can rock out with the entire family and show your kids how bad your voice really is! Priceless!

If you have any of the previous Guitar Hero title you can forgo the whole bundle and play solo or for a pretty penny you can buy the whole thing ($79.99-199.99 currently). It is rated T for TEEN no doubt because of some of the themes and lyrics contained in the initial 80 song set (additional down-loadable tunes available).

See for Yourself What the Critics Say:
GameSpot
MetaCritic
GameRankings

LEGO INDIANA JONES [Xbox 360/PS3/PS2/PC/Wii/PSP/DS]

You had me at “Lego.” I must admit, this one was a no-brainer being a huge fan of the original Indian Jones movies (definitely not the recent one) and Legos, in general. I flew to this title like a mosquito to a flame, fortunately it is a fun ride [ESRB: Everyone 10+].

This title spans all three movies in clunky charming Lego-style, it is primarily a puzzle-solver that is much less cumbersome as the Lego Star Wars title. Not to fret if you haven’t experienced any of the films referenced, I trust it will still be a fun ride.

The most amusing and innovative (for me anyway) puzzles involve the severe phobias with which certain characters are cursed. Indiana has no fears swinging across pools of molten lava or leaping over spikes, but if you put a snake in front of him, he’ll freak out. The game is as entertaining as they get regardless of which console you play it on.

See for Yourself What the Critics Say:
GameSpot
MetaCritic
GameRankings

That’s why meta-DAD has teamed up with Noobie.Com and is excited to announce we are giving away a brand-new Nintendo Wii, valued at $250, this holiday season as part of Noobie’s “I want a Wii” contest. All you need to do is fill out the form below for your chance to win. That’s it, no purchases, surveys or other trickery.

Of all the consoles out there, I personally think the Nintendo Wii is the best choice for families with young school-aged children. Developers of games for the Wii have done a great job at putting a focus on great gameplay and the novelty of the revolutionary Wii remote has stuck. The people have voted and the Wii has won with games like Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Fit and Guitar Hero for the whole family. These are fun games that get kids (and parents!) off the couch and jumping, and wiggling around.

IMPORTANT CONTEST INFORMATION:

Noobie’s “I want a Wii” contest will end on December 12th, 2008 at 11:59 P.M. ET. The drawing for the Nintendo Wii will take place on or about December 14th, 2008.

By entering your name and email address the fine folks at Noobie have assured me that your information will not be sold or given away to any third party companies (i.e. spam), so fire away and enter with ease. Heck, get Grandma to enter, too! I guarantee she’ll love the bowling on Wii.

Noobie.Com specializes in teaching beginners how to use their technology gadgets. Think digital cameras, iPods, DVRs, cell phones, etc.

ENTER NOW!