The video game industry is at a crossroads.

I was listening to All Things Considered where they touched on video games and it made me more aware of the trends I have been seeing lately. Game development has become both extremely accessible and, for the biggest games, extremely expensive.

AAA games costs upwards of $500 million+ and take years to develop. Grand Theft Auto 6 (set to launch in October) has been in development for 13 years! 🤯 And because it’s unclear what might be a success, there are lots of sequels with familiar IP (hence, GTA6). Sinking in $500M & 5-7 years of dev time and having a flop can be the death knell for a company.

On the other side, indie devs are having a heyday - some of the most popular games come from them. They can be more agile, creative, and risky AND they can churn out games at a faster clip - giving them more opportunities to succeed. Some gamers also feel like AAA games can be overproduced and lack the ‘feel’ of a video game that these indie devs can capture.

It has a lot of similarities to the existential crisis the movie industry has found itself in recently with the rise of streaming, lack of theater traffic, and more smaller filmmakers.

AI is also making its presence felt - code can be spun up faster, games can be personalized feel more like a virtual world, and loads of different ideas can be generated. It’s polarizing, but here to stay.

THE STAR OF THE MINECRAFT MOVIE DOESN’T LET HIS KIDS PLAY VIDEO GAMES?!

Jason Momoa made waves on the red carpet recently:

Twitter tweet

I work in video games but I see his point. Momoa and I are around the same age - we grew up before the inflection point of technology fully embedded in our lives and I think we want that kind of childhood for our kids.

When I think about spending time with my kids, I don’t immediately go to video games. In fact, sometimes we go weeks without playing. They maybe get an hour of gaming in on average a week (and it’s mostly Minecraft 😅 )

There are so many things to experience, so I can see why Momoa pushes them into other areas. I think a full-on ban is a bit much; everything in moderation IMO. And there are many ways to be creative in gaming - 90% of Minecraft (he’s starring in the movie based on the game) is about being creative 🙃.

It’s definitely a click-bait quote but I can understand his take.

• Another day, another update to Roblox Parental Controls. This time they are expanding the ability to block and report specific friends, experiences, and see where your kids are spending their time.

  • I don’t let my kids play Roblox, but I know a lot of people do. Every game has its positives and negatives. For me, there are too many hoops to jump through to protect your kid and too many games that feel like UGC garbage made to groom kids to make in-game purchases. There are better options out there.

• Netflix starts to roll out their gaming strategy and part of it is focused on young kids but will also include immersive, narrative games based on Netflix IPs; socially engaging party games; and mainstream established titles (like Grand Theft Auto).

  • They are planning to launch a new mobile kids app called The World of Peppa Pig in June to capitalize on the success of the new season

• An insightful profile of Google’s Head of Gaming Moonlit Beshimov from Harvard’s Alumni group

Nintendo Switch 2 Revealed - Should you buy it?

The Basics:

Release date: June 6, 2025

Price: System only - $449.99 MSRP | System + Mario Kart World Bundle - $499.99 MSRP*

The High Level Details: A more powerful processor and a larger screen allow for better graphics, 4K quality, and 120fps gameplay, a big upgrade from the original Switch. There is now built in voice chat. Upgraded controllers can also be used as a mouse and they have revamped the stand so it’s sturdier.

I found the specs and features to be solid but the games felt lacking to me. The price is also quite high.

My take: Even as a huge Nintendo fan, I would wait to purchase. I want to see reviews once it is in people’s hands and I want to get a feel for other games that are coming out.

I’ve been getting into some retro games lately - going back for a hit of nostalgia on games I played growing up. If you ever played EverQuest - check out The Heroes Journey - a much more player friendly option to relive that MMO.

GLHF,

Chris

Minecraft, Minecraft, Minecraft - if you somehow forgot, the Minecraft Movie opens up next weekend - April 4.

And the promotions are everywhere:

Special Popcorn tubs and drink buckets at Regal Cinemas

AMC has Movie themed merch

McDonald’s is doing themed meals for kids and adults - with in-game unlocks

Minecraft (the actual video game) is having movie themed events

NYX Minecraft Movie Makeup

And my personal favorite - MLB x Minecraft Movie - with a bunch of teams doing Minecraft Movie Day at the Park with specialized jersey giveaways:

I love the retro pixel art logo

I’m sure I’ve missed some but it’ll be everywhere!

Take Economics 101 or Just Play Video Games?

For many gamers, a lot of what they know about finance, business, and economics they learned through playing video games.

World of Warcraft was a lot of people’s first introduction to a virtual marketplace and auction house where they had to deal with supply and demand, arbitrage, wholesaling, pricing and cornering a market, seasonality, and more. If you played this game within the game well, you could be swimming in gold. If you didn’t, well, better get to farming some dungeons to recoup your losses.

A St. Mary’s College professor even has a course curriculum for Teaching Economics through World of Warcraft. Best-selling author Josh Kaufman even says that everything he learned about business was through World of Warcraft.

When Animal Crossing New Horizons came out in 2020, a lot of gamers learned first hand about real life - especially in areas you wouldn’t think for a video game like Loans, Financing, and Home Ownership, Supply and Demand, Producers and Consumers, Goods and Services, Interest and Return on Investment, the Stock Market.

Just look at the plethora of stories that came out of this cozy game around its economic education from Investopedia, The Atlantic, Polygon, The Washington Post!

TDBank Treat Island Tycoon

TDBank believes that it’s time to focus on building gaming experiences that directly teach money management and financial literacy to kids, with a significant focus on 10-14 year olds. These are kids who may be saving money in real life from birthdays or chores or odd jobs and lemonade stands.

So TDBank built an experience within Roblox to help drive that education, in an engaging way.

Kids start our as an entrepreneur that must navigate a fun, engaging island to gather fruits to ultimately turn into frozen treats for sale.

Source: TDBank

You start with almost a virtual lemonade stand and then through work and success you can upgrade to a full factory production. To progress through the game, kids must balance their budget, take out loans to expand their businesses, and ultimately build a successful frozen treat empire on the island.

Source: TDBank

They are trying to make it educational but not too heavy handed and so far have had nearly 11,000 visitors to their game

If you want to give it a go, it’s free and can be found here

• Minecraft Live 2025 was a virtual event spilling the tea on all the new updates coming to Minecraft - improved lighting, warm and cold variants to mobs, movie content, and ghastlings.

• A new survey of over 1,000 American parents shows more parents are supporting their children's gaming interests but a balance in screentime is key. More than 2 in 5 parents believe esports could provide a more fulfilling future than traditional jobs such as working as a teacher or a lawyer and 1 in 3 parents believe gaming might help their kids secure a college scholarship.

• The Vatican unveils a 3D digital twin of St. Peter’s Basilica that people can explore for free in Minecraft

• Another survey, from USF, on kids usage of smart phones reveals some interesting findings: Kids with smartphones report greater well-being than kids who don’t have one. They are more likely to hang out with friends. They are more likely to exercise. They also are more likely to feel good about themselves, and are more likely to seek help when they need it.

I actually forgot when the Minecraft movie was supposed to come out until I saw all of these promotions! Guess I know one thing I’ll be doing next weekend!

Until then, GL HF!

Chris

Took a trip to NJ & NYC over the winter break and it was frigid. Always good to see family and the sights - but no trip there is complete without a stop at the Nintendo Store!

Getting to play the new Donkey Kong Country Returns on the big screen

New Animated PBS KIDS Series Harnesses Gaming to Open a World of Possibilities

SKILLSVILLE is the name of a new series coming to PBS Kids on March 3rd and it is one I have my eye on. With a goal of depicting the benefits of video games (sounds familiar to anyone who has been a reader here), SKILLSVILLE will encourage kids ages 4-8 to “power up” the skills they need for future success.

"SKILLSVILLE uses something kids already love—gaming—to help them practice essential life skills that can shape their future," said Carol-Lynn Parente, Executive Producer and Co-Creator, Twin Cities PBS (TPT). “Our goal is to empower young viewers with simple, effective self-regulation strategies as the tools they can use to overcome challenges and pursue their dreams. By combining the fun of career exploration with practical skills like pausing to think, planning, organizing and persevering through setbacks, SKILLSVILLE inspires kids to see themselves as problem-solvers and change-makers who can lean on their unique strengths to help their community.”

Image credit: Twin Cities PBS

The show features three friends who have their own gaming alteregos. The trio play together both in the real world and in a digital video game to learn life skills and career possibilities.

I’ve been a big advocate that gaming can provide a lot of benefits to growing kids and I’m excited that PBS Kids is bringing this to life. We’ll definitely be tuning in next week.

SKILLSVILLE will launch on March 3, 2025 on PBS KIDS in English and Spanish. You can learn more at their website.

• My oldest son has a “homework bingo sheet” he has to complete every two weeks. They’ve been including a lot of CODE.org - which is a cool resource to learn the basics of coding. His favorite part of that is the Minecraft Learn to Code segments that has you build out code in Minecraft to accomplish certain tasks and scenarios. It’s a fun way to feel like you are playing a game but learning at the same time.

• Love this little mini-rant from VICE around the lack of edutainment games for kids - There are some out there but with appstores there is a ton of junk out there rather than proper educational games.

• Saw this press release about a new parental control app for the home called Geenee - something to keep an eye on for parents looking to limit screen time, website access, and even do it by geolocation.

Pokémon Quest

A free-to-play action-adventure game where familiar Pokémon are transformed into cube-like shapes. Set on Tumblecube Island, players control a team of Pokémon to explore, battle wild Pokémon, and collect items. The gameplay is fun, but simple.

One of the unique features of Pokémon Quest is its cooking system, where players prepare various dishes to attract Pokémon to join their team. The game has a light, accessible style appropriate for both Pokémon fans and gaming newbies

The Basics:

Released: 2018

Platforms: Nintendo Switch / Google Play Store / iOS store

Pricing: Free

Here’s what you’ll be seeing on screen:

1. Pause the game here but also see what you’ve collected so far

2. Track your progress until the boss phase

3. All the action takes place here! Your Pokemon have outlines that match their colors at the bottom of the screen and you can see their health bars in blue above their heads. Enemies have red health bars.

4. Press this to have the computer automatically do all the battling for you!

5. This scatters your Pokemon - a really strong way to avoid big attacks from boss Pokemon.

6. Each of your Pokemon is shown here - they have one or two moves that have a cooldown timer before they can be used again

The flu is currently running through our house and it’s been awful, probably the worst I’ve felt in years.

Not a lot of gaming being played but a ton of TV watching - we’re loving Planet Earth III and the new Americas spin-off with Tom Hanks on NBC was pretty good too. Nature is wild! The stuff they capture is mindblowing.

GL HF,

Chris

Video Game Books? In 2025?

I just got back from the book fair at my kids’ school. Remember those? The racks of Scholastic books, posters, stickers, and folders? They are still going strong, except Lisa Frank and Michael Jordan have been replaced with kawaii styled animals and food items and video game characters respectively. Old series like Baby Sitters Club and Goosebumps are revamped for a new generation, too.

But the thing that blew my mind were the amount of video game themed books. Loads of unofficial guides to Minecraft, Roblox, and others - basically telling you about the game and how to play it. Things you could find on the internet for free (with a slew of ads) but here’s its $5.99+ for a printed companion book! There were multiple official books for Pokemon, graphic novels for Sonic and others.

Also interesting were the amount of video game themed stories and comics making you feel “in game” and featuring YouTubers and others, like FGTeeV. I really didn’t think this would be a viable market, but they must be selling well enough!

• Your favorite artist’s favorite artist is also a gamer - Chappell Roan took over 2024 and apparently also loves Fortnite. She already has one emote in the game with another coming this year. And now she has official items in Roblox for some of her biggest songs.

• Have your kids been asking for a Fanum tax? (More on that later) Well, it comes from Fanum one of the biggest streamers and content creators out there.

• Sometimes you get tired as a parent and this is an ingenious “play with your kids” game - however, I also have two boys and could see them trying to make it gross after a while 🙄 

• Video games and the medical industry continue to intertwine. Now there’s a one-minute video game that can help diagnose autism in children

• More games are coming to Netflix, with a focus on couch co-op as well as using them to expand current IP

• US consumers spent $50.6B (yes, Billion) on video game content in 2024, with mobile game spending accounting for $26B of it 💰️. This is just spending on microtransactions and in-game items like cosmetics, skins, upgrades, etc. If all those gamers pooled their money, maybe they could buy TikTok.

Pokemon: TCG Pocket

I’ve mentioned this mobile game previously but it’s easily one of my favorite free-to-play games, especially to satiate my boys’ intense love for Pokemon. It’s a digital adaptation of the Pokemon Trading Card Game - you can battle, trade, but most importantly collect!! Every 12 hours you get a free pack to open - so your kids can open Pokemon cards without you having to shell out cash.

The Basics:

Released: October 30, 2024

Platforms: Mobile

Pricing: Free with in-game purchases

If you want to get started - here’s a breakdown of some of the main screens - The tutorial is very good though and will easily get you started:

The main home screen

At the top you will be able to access (L-R): your card showcases (this is deeper stuff, not something to worry about at the start), your profile in the middle, vouchers, messages, and then gifts. A red dot means there’s something new. These are the different sets of cards you can choose from The two little tickets above the word “MAX” indicates the free packs you have to open, otherwise there is a timer showing you how long until you can open a free pack. The hourglasses are items you can accumulate and use to lessen your timer Wonder Pick lets you blind pick 1 card from someone else’s pack opening. You use hearts (they replenish over time) to do so. Shop - you can pay for in-game content here Missions - You get rewards for accomplishing different tasks The Nav Bar (L-R): Home, Card Collection, Social Tab, Battle Tab, Menu

The two little tickets above the word “MAX” indicates the free packs you have to open, otherwise there is a timer showing you how long until you can open a free pack. The hourglasses are items you can accumulate and use to lessen your timer A carousel showcasing some of the cards available in this pack The pack you want to open - to open it tap the pack You get points for opening packs which you can spend on specific cards if you are looking for something special Options “Offering Rates” - Tells you pack odds Back arrow to go back home “Select other booster packs” - gives you the chance to pick a different set

Fanum Tax: (noun) - A phrase used before or after snagging a bite of your friend’s/SO’s food.

“Hey! That’s my cheesesteak”

“Sorry, just a Fanum Tax”

2025 should be another big year for gaming. We’ll give you the games to look out for this year in an upcoming issue.

GL HF,

Chris

There’s a time in every modern parent’s life when a switch flips for their kids. It’s different for each kid but all of a sudden the floodgates open.

I run an esports team but I actually don’t play video games as much as you’d expect and my kids would only ask to play every now and again.

This last month was different. Christmas comes and my youngest asked the big guy 🎅 for Pokémon Violet and my boys each got their own controller. From there, it snowballed to also include playing and asking for Minecraft and Smash Bros, too.

What’s great is that I can play along with them and they want me to join in. Plus, they also love some of the classics (NBA Jam, Paperboy, Pac-Man, Sonic), so it’s stuff that I know and love.

Minecraft has hit them the hardest though - both boys have gotten books from the library and study them intensely or read stories set in the Minecraft universe. They imagine and talk about what they’re going to build/do in the game more than they actually play the game 😄 . There are a lot worse alternatives and we set up parental controls.

Minecraft - all over the place at our house

RECONNECTING WITH MY CHILDHOOD

Pokémon is a game for all ages. It’s a pretty simple concept - you explore a world where there are Pokémon you can capture and then battle other Pokémon with.

The latest version, Scarlet & Violet, is a ton of fun and catching Pokémon is a blast. It may amaze you to know there are 1025 now, not just the 150 you grew up with! But never fear, those OG ones are still super popular so they appear in the new games!

What’s been kind of cool is also having my 5 year old work on his reading while playing. Pokémon has a lot of text, and a lot of it is repetitive so it helps him practice. Win win!

After playing with them, I got a bit of Poké-nostalgia so I busted out my old games. Then I found out you can transfer Pokémon from those games over to the newest games through Pokémon Home (and a pretty convoluted process) which acts as kind of a cloud storage for your Pokémon.

Needless to say, this ate up an evening or two as I went through old Pokémon I caught. But most of my time was spent on finally capturing an extremely rare and hard to catch Pokémon that had eluded me since 2008!

An apt nickname for my Cresselia

• Took the kids to see Sonic 3 (Good but not as great as Sonic 1 or 2). However, there were so many trailers that my boys want to see - is 2025 the year of Kids Movies 🍿 ?

  • You have Dog Man, Looney Tunes, Minecraft, Lilo & Stitch, another Pixar movie, How to Train Your Dragon, Bad Guys 2, Zootopia 2, Gabby’s Dollhouse, and another SpongeBob. And the list goes on. Time for MoviePass?

• Viral TikTok from pediatric eye doctor says no screentime until age two and only 1 hour a week up to age 5. World Health Organization agrees.

• The internet is on fire 🔥 with Nintendo Switch 2 rumors. And this morning the launch trailer for the Switch 2 debuted. It looks glorious. The Switch is the best family console so the next iteration is likely a must-have.

Marvel Rivals

A free-to-play, team-based PvP hero shooter developed by NetEase Games that is currently quite popular. Set in the Marvel universe, players choose from a large roster of Marvel heroes and villains, including characters from the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and more. It features 6v6 matches with a third-person camera view and several game modes across a variety of maps inspired by the Marvel multiverse.

The Basics:

Released: December 6, 2024,

Platforms: PS5 / Xbox Series X|S / PC

Pricing: Free to Play

Whether you’re watching your favorite streamer or family member play, or you’ve been thinking about trying it out, here’s what you’ll be seeing on screen:

Marvel Rivals

1. Objective - See what you have to do next to win the game

2. Gameplay Overview - The timer on the top is how long you have to complete the objective by getting your convoy escorted to the next checkpoint, then the time increases. The blue is the progress your team has made in escorting it. You need to get it to each checkmark or the other team can push it backwards. The symbol is where the convoy is.

3. The white health bar is your teammates, then there are stats around the game itself (like FPS, etc), and then the convoy you are escorting is the chariot.

4. YOU - Here you are the Scarlet Witch, the white symbols to the right are her ammo for her right click attack that recharges over time.

5. ENEMY - You are being attacked by Wolverine! Enemies are in red and you can tell you are being attacked because of the red around the edge of the screen.

6. Your Info - Here is your character portrait and your basic attack. As a magic wielder you have infinite ammo but other characters who use weapons will have to reload and you’ll see how much ammo you have here.

7. Your Health - This is your health bar, don’t let it get to 0!

8. Your Abilities - These are different per hero/villain but they mirror the superpowers they are known for. The golden one is your ultimate ability that charges up from zero. Unleash it to drop a major attack!

Team-Ups!

One of the more unique aspects of Marvel Rivals is the ability to ‘Team Up’ with other superheroes for unique attacks that tie together the Marvel lore.

Hope your 2025 is off to a great start! If there’s anything you want to see covered in the new year, let me know!

GLHF,

Chris

In current events, I saw that NBC had an article that the suspect in the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting played “Among Us”. A very click-baity article as the media was trying to drive more eyeballs. It’s definitely not an “assassins” game as they called it. It’s a massively popular game and we break it down in Screen Studies this week.

The holidays are right around the corner - we’ll give you some tips on getting those games and systems ready for you kids later.

Also - a crazy survey of Gen Z shows they may be on their phones more than you are at your desk each week (the link is in ICYMI).

• FTC starts issuing more than $72M in Fortnite refunds

  • Did you have an unwanted purchases or did your child rack up unauthorized charges without their parents’ permission? Or did Fortnite block you after you disputed wrongful charges? You could be eligible if these things happened between 2017-2022. You have until January 10, 2025 to file a claim.

• LEGO Takes Aim at Roblox - In a role reversal, LEGO copies Roblox and creates a social roleplay experience in the LEGO Fortnite world. Take on a variety of jobs and build your own stories by interacting with both the environment and your fellow residents.

  

• Agency dcdx released their 4th annual Gen Z Screen Time Report which has respondents opt in to having their phone time tracked. Daily average screen time rose 15 minutes YOY to 7:22:43, weekly this equates to 51:46:30 - literally a full time job and then some. On average they will spend 112 DAYS on their phone in 2024. This is up 12 days from 2023!!! 🤯 

• Seattle Children’s Hospital using Video Games to help patients

  • A feel good story around the holidays as my local children’s hospital has been using video games to help children as a distraction and a way to connect and play when they can’t leave the hospital They have over a million dollars of video game equipment for the kids and even therapeutic video games and technology for patient care.

• Gamer Parents are the Future?

  • We’ve been touting this a lot so I’m not surprised but research shows 75% of parents say they play video games (computer games, video games, or mobile games) with their kids regularly (“every day” or “every week”).

TIPS TO AVOID THE CHRISTMAS MORNING HEADACHES

While I can’t save you from your kids waking you up at 5am on Christmas morning (I’ve been there, it’s a drag 😪) - I can help you make sure your video games are ready to go for your kids in the morning. Unlike the 80s and 90s, you can’t just plug things in and start playing immediately so let’s breakdown the need for waiting for updates and downloads after the presents have been unwrapped.

Charge Them Up (or Get Batteries)

For any accessories (like controllers or headsets) make sure you’ve got either the right batteries or that you’ve charged them up ahead of time, if possible! A lot of wireless items come partially charged but you never know. Get a USB hub and charge them up to 100% 🔋 for a full day of gaming.

Set Up Consoles and Download Updates

If you are buying a new console this year, it may help to take it out of the box (carefully, so you can put it back in if you choose) and plug it in, connect it to the internet, and set it up ahead of time. Console software is updated regularly and so while this shouldn’t take too long, it’s always a process that will take some time. Doing it ahead of time also gives you a chance to make your account the main one on the console and set parental controls ahead of time. A lot of games also require updates after being installed or played for the first time. If you can be sneaky 🦊 try to get it done on Christmas Eve so your kid will be none-the-wiser. Otherwise, you could find yourself waiting ⏱️ to download 10s of GBs of data.

Among Us

An online, multiplayer social deduction game where players are divided into two roles: Crewmates and Impostors. Crewmates are tasked with completing various jobs or tasks on a map, such as maintaining a spaceship, while Impostors, who are aliens disguising themselves as Crewmates, sabotage the environment and kill the real Crewmates. When a body is discovered, players can report it and initiate an emergency meeting to discuss and vote on who they think is an Impostor. The game is won by the Crewmates when all Impostor(s) are ejected or if the crewmates can finish all of their tasks. The game is won by the Impostor(s) when the number of Impostors equals the number of Crewmates before all tasks are completed or by enacting a critical Sabotage that is not resolved in time.

The Basics:

Released: First released in 2018

Platforms: PS4 / PS5 / Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S / PC / Nintendo Switch / Mobile

Pricing: $4.99, but Free-to-play on mobile with in-app purchases

1. Task List & Meter - See the different tasks on the ship and completing them fills the meter. Get it to full and win as a Crewmate

2. Map - Open the map to see the locations, where you are, and what rooms have tasks to complete

3. Crewmates and Impostors -  These funny looking space folks are either Crewmates or Impostors - it’s up to you and your friends to figure out who the Impostor(s) are before they take you out!

4. Report - As a Crewmate (or Impostor if you are really sly) - when you see a dead body or something ‘sus’ it’s time to Report it! This pauses the game and calls an emergency meeting where you can discuss what happened and who the Impostor is that needs to be exiled. But pick wisely!

5. Use - When you need to complete a task or use an area in the game, press this button. Impostors also have the use button, but they also have abilities like Kill (allowing them to kill Crewmates), Sabotage (breaking things on the map), or Vent (allowing them to hide in vents)

chat: (noun) - a term taken from streaming culture to reference a group of people, usually friends

Synonyms: everyone, y’all, you guys

“Chat, what should we watch?”

Hope everyone has been good this year and you get what you want for the holidays! Enjoy the time with family and friends!

GLHF,

Chris

What I’m Playing: Balatro

We recently got power back after nearly a week due to a “bomb cyclone” that hit Washington. While it is no fun having to deal with closed schools and no power, I did appreciate how dark and quiet it was walking the dog at night.

With a generator covering the household essentials, you’d think gaming would take a backseat. However, with the plethora of games available on your phone and the Steam Deck - I was still able to get my fix 😄.

A few of the games that got me through the no-electricity doldrums that I’d recommend: Pokemon TCG Pocket, Elden Ring (on Steam Deck), and Balatro.

Amazingly my kids didn't ask at all about video games, but we did get a lot of games of Monopoly and Ticket to Ride in.

Thankfully the power came back in time to cook up the turkey 🦃!

OUR BLACK FRIDAY MUST HAVES

Maybe it’s the proliferation of ecommerce or just a down-year, but it feels like this Black Friday is one of the least hyped and there aren’t boatloads of deals out there. However, we’ve uncovered a few favorites that we think are worth it this year!

The best all-purpose gaming controller is on sale. Whether you want to play on your PC, Xbox, PS5, Switch, or even your phone, this 8bitdo controller is unbeatable, especially when its 31% off.

If you want to get your SO into gaming with you, It Takes Two, is the best cooperative game out there. The mechanics aren’t complicated and it’s a lot of fun to play together! Plus it’s half off!

Last issue we mentioned the Switch is still the best console for you to introduce gaming to your family. It’s now the lowest it’s ever been at $75 off AND it comes bundled with Mario Kart 8 - my favorite game to play with my family and kids. It has driver assist to keep you on the course.

Do you like fun, casual games that hook you with addicting gameplay? Look no further than Balatro - now 33% off - it combines the fun of poker with video game mechanics and will make you wonder where all your free-time went. As I mentioned, this game was a fun one to play this past week.

Are your kids like mine and they can not get enough of Bluey? The video game is like playing episodes of the show. A great snag right now for $19 - Switch, PS5, Xbox

• 81% of parents believe their children are learning positive financial skills from video games

  • This doesn’t surprise me too much as games force you to save, understand supply/demand, and how to earn money to purchase items. However, I’m curious whether kids fully grasp the concept of digital currencies and the hard costs of real money to acquire digital cosmetics rather than in-game items purchased with in-game money.

• Kind of ironic to have a Black Friday list and then share this story asking whether Americans are drowning in toys

  • As a parent this hit me because I feel like it can quickly become an issue. Plus, the idea that less toys may be better for kids was on full display this summer. On a vacation trip, my boys would not stop playing with a wooden train set at our rental house. It happened to be the only toy there and they were so engrossed with it and used their imagination to come up with all different scenarios. Yet, even after we got home our own wooden train set remains untouched in its bin.

• Gaming beats TV to be the new primetime family activity

  • A recent study shows families are gaming more together in the evenings than watching TV. In our house we do family dinner and then a little playtime and then our bedtime routine, so even though we’re gamers I would say we’re not on this list. I usually avoid video games on weeknights with them. While I can see this being a trend, I’m actually a little surprised.

• Saw this question about a kid always playing video games in “Ask Eric” and felt like the advice was perfect - try talking to them about it, or even picking up a controller for yourself.

rizz: (noun but can also be used as a verb) - shortened version of charisma; describing the ability to attract a sexual partner

Synonyms: style, charm

Silky: Yo I saw that you were talking to that girl Rachel over there. Did you get her number?

Kai: Indeed! You know me, I got mad rizz!

We’re getting through the holiday season and there will be gaming deals galore - as we have the Steam Holiday Sale and a week or so of free games on the Epic Games Store. We’ll make sure to navigate through those too.

GLHF,

Chris

There was a time where opening up a video game console or game during the holidays was a huge deal. You’ve probably all seen that video of the the Nintendo 64 kid. But with the lack of supply (and scalpers) for new consoles and the shift to digital downloads, the excitement around opening up a gift card or digital currency card pales in comparison to those holidays of yesteryear.

Technology made gaming way more convenient but the lack of something physical, especially as a gift, is a bummer. Does anyone really love giving or receiving a gift card? Plus, you have to either pre-download a game and hope your kid doesn’t realize it or they have to wait to download an update before diving in. Heaven forbid you buy them the new Call of Duty and they have to download 130+GB before playing 💀 .

With the holiday season here - we’ll give you a few ideas for the gamer in your life.

SHOCKER: KIDS WANT VIDEO GAMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Our friends over at the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) released a holiday guide for parents along with some polling data of kids 10-17 in the US.

Video Games top kids wish lists with 76% asking for video games or video game related items - with a skew more towards boys than girls.

If you are an adult buying video games this holiday, prepare to spend. Adults said they planned to spend on average $312 this holiday season. This may sound high, but considering a new video game console retails for $299 up to $699, maybe $312 isn’t so bad 🤑 .

One of the most surprising things about the data to me is that Games themselves are the 2nd least wanted thing, just ahead of in-game currencies. I’m also surprised that Gaming Gear isn’t higher with the plethora of accessories made for gamers.

• Roblox continues to clean up its mess. When reports around child predators and lack of moderation continue to pop up, changes have to happen. Their latest update now does two things:

  1. Users under the age of 13 will not be able to play, search, and discover unrated experiences. This means your child is less likely to stumble onto something unsafe.

  2. Access to Social Hangouts and Free-form User Creation experiences are only for users 13+ - meaning experiences that are virtual chatrooms or have user creation like in-game whiteboards are now also restricted.

  • My take - this is good news for parents as it definitely makes the platform safer but also feels like changes they could have made a long time ago.

• The Director of USC’s Games school shares some links and tips for younger gamers looking to get into the industry.

• If you’re like me and enjoy listening to a video game soundtrack or two, Nintendo just launched the Nintendo Music app to let you listen to a bunch of classic music from your favorite games. It is still missing a lot, but I love that you can extend songs to be up to 60 minutes in length for those heads down, work sessions. It’s free if you have Nintendo Online.

• If you are worried about screen time but want your child to try new games, this screen free gaming platform called Play Cubes seems interesting.

A SMATTERING OF HOLIDAY FAVORITES

By no means is this a full gift guide (we’ll share more throughout the season & for Black Friday/Cyber Monday) but here’s a few initial ideas for the gamer(s) in your life.

Your First Console - You’ve heard me talk a lot of playing the Switch with my kids and family. It excels with fun, family friendly games that are easy to play + the nostalgia that comes from playing old NES, SNES, N64 games. You can’t beat this bundle with Mario Kart + online for 3 months.

Baby’s First Controller - If you are gamers and have a kid - this is a must. It even has an easter egg if you input the Konami code 😆

Wall Art for the gamer or game room - Displate has been around for a while, but people outside of core gamers may not know them. They make super cool, high quality gaming prints as metal posters - perfect for a bedroom or game room!

My favorite (reasonably priced) controller - 8bitdo makes super great third party peripherals - and this controller is universal - so you can use it on any console, PC, or phone! It’s so worth it.

LEGO themed toys - Maybe video games aren’t your thing but your kids loves the IP, well, your next best bet is to go with LEGO. The Mario sets are incredibly detailed and fun and the Sonic sets are really good too. There’s also Minecraft if that’s your cup of tea 🍵.

The Steam Deck - I want, and like, to spend time with my wife at night. But sometimes she wants to watch something I’m just not into and I want to play video games. Instead of leaving the room and going to my gaming PC, I can be on my Steam Deck on the couch and still have conversations with and be with her, which I love. Plus, I can quickly set this thing down if something comes up. It’s one of the most perfect gaming devices for adults. It’s super easy to use and great for your significant other or maybe yourself 😉 .

Sus: (Adjective) - Used to call out something or someone that is suspicious, questionable, or even weird/different. Really blew up from the game Among Us.

We’ll be coming to you in two weeks for a pre-Black Friday and Cyber Monday email so if there are any gaming related we’ll make sure you are teed up.

GL HF,

Chris

Happy spooky season 👻 ! Halloween is my favorite holiday, especially for the costumes. In our house, family video game costumes are a regular thing:

Sonic & Dr. Eggman

Yes, my dog was Donkey Kong!

For some, dressing up as gaming/anime/nerd culture characters is a hobby (and profession) called “cosplay” - with pros who spend thousands of hours and dollars on their work! In 2011, I got the cosplay bug and made an Assassin’s Creed outfit using a borrowed sewing machine. It took me nights of work but it was worth it, and made me massively appreciate the skill of cosplayers.

My Ezio Auditore cosplay

If you need more costume inspiration, here are some of our top video game costumes this Halloween.

OUR FAVORITE HALLOWEEN VIDEO GAMES TO GET YOU INTO THE MOOD

🎃 BARELY SCARY, BUT HIGHLY FESTIVE

Costume Quest 1 & 2 - The most iconic Halloween games IMO. Take control of trick or treating kids and battle monsters in this delightful RPG. Very kid friendly. Rated E10+.

Luigi’s Mansion Series - Not a ton of Halloween vibes but there are ghosts and a haunted mansion. Rated E for Everyone.

Zombies Ate My Neighbors - The classic Super Nintendo game is refreshed for the Switch. Up to 2 players battle through tons of levels of fun and horror movie tropes. Rated E10+.

🧟 A MIX OF SCARY & SPOOKY FUN

Five Nights at Freddy’s - Did you ever go to Chuck E. Cheese or ShowBiz Pizza and have nightmares about the robots coming to life? Well, this is that game. It’s been popular with kids for a long time. Rated T for Teen.

Little Nightmares - A third-person puzzle stealth horror game where players control a young girl navigating a terrifying world filled with childhood monster archetypes. Rated T for Teen.

Pumpkin Jack - A 3D action platformer set in a spooky, Halloween-themed world where you play as Jack, a trickster reincarnated into a pumpkin. Rated E10+.

🧛 HALLOWEEN GAMES FOR THE OLDER CROWD

Dead by Daylight - A modern, multiplayer horror game featuring one killer vs a group of survivors. Tons of fun and loaded with classic horror movie villains (Freddy, Chucky, Scream). Rated M.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - Play as Dracula’s son Alucard to explore Dracula's castle, uncover the mysteries behind its return, and face the baddies inside. Rated T for Teen.

Left 4 Dead / Left 4 Dead 2 - If you have some friends, you have to play these. They are the best co-op zombie shooters. Absolute gems. Rated M.

• 🎃 Looking for stencils for pumpkin carving? We’ve got you covered:

  • Pokemon Stencils from 2015-2024

  • Bowser & Villains & Goomba

  • Overwatch

  • Minecraft

• 🛍️The cool house on the block isn’t giving out king size candy bars, it’s all about trading cards on Halloween:

  • Pokemon Trick or Trade Booster Bundles

  • NBA Haunted Hoops

  • NFL Score-A-Treat

• ⏱️ Fortnite will now allow you to set time limits and more through parental controls - no more having to unplug the console (my parents would have loved this feature 😆 )

• ✅ Having trouble staying on task or getting your kids to do their chores? Maybe turning to-do’s into an RPG where you can earn items and pets will help!

Dead by Daylight

Dead by Daylight (DbD) is a 4v1 multiplayer action survival horror game where one player assumes the role of the Killer, and the other four players take on the roles of Survivors. The Survivors must work together to repair a number of generators scattered across the map, while evading the Killer, to escape. The Killer's objective is to hunt down the survivors. It features loads of movie and TV villains.

Platforms: PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store), Xbox One, PS4/5, Switch, Xbox Series X/S

Pricing: $19.99 - $29.99 (also included in PS+ & Xbox GamePass)

Here’s what you’ll be seeing on screen from a Survivor’s POV:

A Survivor’s POV

1. End Game Collapse Timer: The match is reaching its grand finale! The exit gates are wide open, and survivors have 2 minutes to dash for freedom before the map collapses in a fiery mess. Anyone still inside? Well… better luck next time!

2. Exit Gate Switch: Once all the generators are repaired, it’s time to flip the switch! Just keep in mind, powering up the exit gate takes a few seconds, and you’re still vulnerable to the killer’s lurking wrath during that time. No pressure!

3. End Game Visual Elements: Things are heating up– literally! The ground gets a dramatic, lava-like makeover during the endgame, making everything feel even more intense.

4. Survivor Status Icons: Keep an eye on this area to see how everyone’s holding up. Skulls mean a player’s met their unfortunate demise, and red scratch marks mean they’re hurt but still kicking (for now).

5. Inventory / Current Item: This handy display shows what your survivor is carrying– a trusty flashlight to fend off the killer with some cool attachments to go with it!

6. Survivor: Meet your in-game persona! This third-person model is your survivor, sneaking around, staying vigilant, and looking for the quickest way out.

7. Perk Loadout: Here's where your special abilities shine. Each perk icon represents a unique skill to help you outwit the killer. Cooldowns and effects are shown here, so you'll know exactly when you can pull off your next clever move!

Here’s what you’ll be seeing on screen from a Killer’s POV:

The Killer’s POV

1. End Game Collapse Timer: The clock is ticking! The exit gates are open, and you’ve got 2 minutes to still devour any survivors before the map does it for you or they escape from your grasp!

2. Survivor in the distance: Look! Someone’s making a run for it!

3. Hit/Evasion Notifications: These handy notifications show off the killer’s skills. In this case, the killer dodged a flashlight stun and delivered a hit to a survivor.

4. Survivor Status Icons: This section shows how each survivor is doing. “Stars” is limping around injured, "Milhander" has successfully escaped, Feng Min is unfortunately hooked, and "Naga1246" is, well... no longer with us.

5. Survivor nearby: Oh no! “Stars” is crouching nearby, injured and hoping to sneak away from the killer.

6. Power Gauge: Michael Myers’ “Evil Within” meter is filling up! The more he stalks survivors, the scarier and faster he becomes. Once it’s maxed out, he can instantly take down anyone in his way!

7. Killer’s Ability: This shows off the killer’s special power– in this case, Michael’s “Evil Within.” Right now, it’s sitting at level 1, but that could change quickly.

8. Ability Prompt: The killer’s special ability is locked, loaded, and ready to go! Time to strike fear into the hearts of survivors!

9. Killer Perks: Each perk icon represents a unique skill to help you finish off survivors.

Sidequest: (noun) - In gaming, this is a fun adventure that provides a new experience and rewards but doesn’t advance the main story. In real life, people use this to talk about an unexpected adventure, something done in addition to a primary objective, or a departure from their normal routine/career.

“Snoop Dogg is just out here completing sidequests: first cooking with Martha Stewart, then the WWE, and now trying out every Olympic event.”

Have any great video game themed Halloween costumes? Share them with us at deapps@evilgeniuses.gg and we may feature some in our 10/31 newsletter!

GLHF,

Chris

Here are our can’t miss Halloween costumes for the gamer in your house!

1. Shadow the Hedgehog

With Sonic 3 launching in December, don’t be surprised to see a ton of Shadows roaming about. The costume looks great, plus as a jumpsuit they can wear it more than once. There are a myriad of other characters too: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and more

2. Super Mario Bros

My pick here is the inflatable Mario Riding Yoshi - it’s just a genius design that brings in two characters. But you can get pretty much anyone: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Bowser, and Donkey Kong

3. Minecraft Enderman Inflatable

You can’t really go wrong with Minecraft - and they’ve upped the ante in terms of quality of costumes. I love Steve and the Creeper but I have to say the Enderman Inflatable is just too awesome to pass up!

4. Among Us

Still incredibly popular and easy to play on nearly any device - the official Among Us costumes are stellar but nearly sold out

5. Fortnite

There are tons of Fortnite costumes based upon the most popular in-game skins as well as some really cool props. My favorites are Peely, Drift, Fishstick - they all look really good.

6. Poppy Playtime

A little creepy for my taste, but Poppy Playtime is another popular horror/survival game in the vein of FNAF. The costumes look quite good compared to the more printed nylon of most others.

7. Fall Guys

A fun game to play with kids, probably past its prime in popularity but the inflatable costumes look great. My pick is the inflatable chicken but you can’t go wrong with the main characters.

8. Inflatable Kirby

Kirby is an underrated character and this is a stupendous costume. Definitely a unique look that you won’t see out trick or treating.

9. Legend of Zelda

Between Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, and the new Zelda focused game, LoZ characters may be popular this year. There are great Link and Zelda costumes for triforce fans.

10. Five Nights at Freddy’s

While the game is pretty old, the 2023 movie rekindled the IP. You have the iconic Freddy as well as some Glamrock versions.

Patricia is the president of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). In her position, she leads the teams responsible for assigning age and content ratings to video games and apps, enforcing marketing guidelines adopted by the video game industry, and operating ESRB Privacy Certified, an FTC-approved COPPA Safe Harbor Privacy seal certification program.

How do you stay up-to-date on the latest trends in gaming?

As you know, this is a fast-moving industry, but ESRB sees just about every major title come through before its release, which gives me – and the whole ESRB team – an opportunity to consistently stay up-to-date on how the medium is evolving. We also have partnerships with all of the major retailers (through the ESRB Retail Council) and most online storefronts (through the International Age Rating Coalition), which gives us enormous and timely insight into what’s going on in the business. We’re also very committed to listening to parents about their challenges on a regular basis, which allows us to frame how we evolve the rating system and better serve our primary audience, parents.

How do you handle ratings for live service games (Fortnite/Roblox et al) that may have new content and modes that could affect their initial rating?

We have been addressing live service games for a long time by requiring companies to submit content to us for rating that might be inconsistent with the core game’s rating. In fact, ESRB requires that certain live service games, like Destiny 2 or Overwatch 2, get reassessed every few years to ensure that the assigned rating information is still accurate.

What’s new is that games like Fortnite and Roblox have become platforms unto themselves. In the case of Fortnite, ESRB actually rates all of the experiences within the platform – in addition to Fortnite itself. For example, Fortnite is rated T for Teen with the Content Descriptor: Diverse Content: Discretion Advised. This means that Fortnite itself has varied content, like Fortnite Festival (T for Teen) or LEGO Fortnite (E10+). Not to mention all of the user-created games and experiences on the platform – which we also rate. Roblox is similar in that it is also rated T for Teen with Diverse Content: Discretion Advised. However, they have their own guidance for individual game experiences available on the platform.

We offer parents in-depth blogs to explain these platforms so they have what they need to decide if it’s appropriate for their kids. The Fortnite and Roblox blogs are actually two of our most popular… only after Minecraft!

Beyond ESRB ratings, how can parents determine if a game is OK for their kids?

We often say that checking the ratings is a great first step, but it doesn’t have to be the only step if a parent is on the fence or wants more information. We provide additional rating information for physical games in the form of Rating Summaries at esrb.org or our mobile app – which are in-depth explanations and examples of the content in a game. These can be really helpful for parents who are on the fence about a particular game.

In recent years, we’ve heard from a lot of parents that they like to pick up the controller and preview the games themselves when they can, which is easily the best way to see what’s in a game with all of the context. That’s not always an option, so we always encourage parents to check previews, gameplay videos, and reviews – both from other parents/gamers and from the game enthusiast press. There’s a ton of great information out there on almost every game.

How do you recommend parents stay connected with their kids about video games so they don’t seem out-of-touch?

Go to the source: Your kids! We talk a lot about nurturing an open-ended, judgement-free family conversation around video games. The intent here is to help parents connect with their kids about why they love games, and which are their favorites. These conversations illustrate that video games have a lot of really positive benefits beyond the fact that they’re fun. Gamer parents may already know some of this, but parents that don’t play themselves may not appreciate the fact that a lot of online games require team-building and strategy – your kids may be natural leaders and this ongoing conversation is a great way to hear more about that! Meanwhile, offline single-player games also offer great benefits like hand-eye coordination, reading comprehension, a safe place to try, fail, and try again with a new strategy… the list goes on.

Crucially, these conversations also give parents an on-ramp to explain to their kids why there need to be household rules around video games. Parents can explain why a certain game may be off limits for now, or why it’s important that there are time-limits on how long they can play. It’s a great avenue for mutual respect, and most kids understand the importance of household rules if the logic behind them is explained.

Of course, there’s no better way to stay in-touch than by diving in and playing with them!

ESRB put together an entire Family Gaming Guide to help guide parents through some of these conversations.

Do you have a fun moment where you had to educate a parent on modern video games? For instance, letting them know that online games can not be paused.

Pausing an online game is a big one! Some parents are really surprised that their kids are being serious when they say that.

But yes, earlier this year ESRB participated in an event called Mom2.0, which was attended by parent influencers and bloggers. There was a video game lounge put together by ESA with a number of developers and publishers participating. We had the opportunity to chat with hundreds of parents – most of whom were not gamers themselves.

One gap that kept coming up for us was the breadth and depth of parental controls. Our research shows that most parents are aware of (and use) parental controls, but it was clear that these parents were surprised by how granular you can get with some of the settings. In particular, the fact that virtually every modern video game device allows parents to set full weekly schedules for when their kids can play games, and for how long they can play, was surprising to them. Even more so that they could do it remotely from their smartphone most of the time.

Another point is how many games are rated E for Everyone. We had a lot of wide-eyed parents when we explained that about half of the new games released in any given year are rated E for Everyone.

This is more general, but we also had multiple parents say to us that we convinced them to let games into their homes, that they see the upside beyond the entertainment. It was a really wonderful experience, and we were so thankful to have had the opportunity to walk parents through things like parental controls and to explain how we rate games.

What games are you playing now?

As you can imagine, my free time is limited. I’ll usually pick up something more casual on my phone if I have a few minutes to play or on a long commute. ESRB is serious about not playing favorites… but personally, Tetris and Words with Friends have always been favorites of mine.

Fortunately, I work with an office full of people that love video games, and I get to experience them vicariously!

Thank you, Patricia!

A trailer for A Minecraft Movie premiered and I’m surprised it’s taken this long. After the massive success of the Sonic and Super Mario movies, it was inevitable. Minecraft isn’t known for its graphics so it’s jarring to see a cubed, 3D CGI Minecraft world. I’m not sure I like it. The cast has promise: Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Danielle Brooks (Taystee from Orange is the New Black), Jermaine Clement, and Kate McKinnon. Jack Black was great in Super Mario Bros but his Borderlands movie tanked. Can his next gaming flick be a win? Prepare yourself for Minecraft overload in 2025, we already have bath bombs, but I am sure we’ll see everything: cars, toys, cereal, even grapes.

• More gaming themed LEGO Sets are coming:

  • The first ever Legend of Zelda LEGO set!

  • Fortnite - I love the Battle Bus and mini-figs. Only makes sense with the LEGO Fortnite game.

  • Dungeons & Dragons Mini-figs! Mini-figs for tabletop games will print money for LEGO.

• Stemuli is creating video games to shape the education experience and help prepare kids for any type of career - really interesting space to watch.

• Video game development is like a lottery - sometimes games pop and sometimes they are dead on arrival. New IP is tricky which is why you see a lot of sequels. Sony pulled the plug on Concord less than two weeks after launching. In development for 8 years and rumored to have cost at least $100M, yet dead in 2 weeks.

World of Warcraft

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with a new expansion, The War Within, WoW is the biggest and most popular online game of all time. World of Warcraft was (and still is) a global phenomenon, in the past it had ads featuring Mr. T and was in South Park, How I Met Your Mother, and more.

WoW is based upon the Warcraft universe (from the original RTS games) where the Horde and the Alliance battle it out. Players choose a side, a race (human, orc, etc), and a class (warrior, mage, etc) before exploring the world. They level up and gain equipment by defeating enemies and completing quests before raiding (battling through a dungeon of boss fights) with other players.

The Basics:

Released: 2004 (latest expansion was August 26, 2024)

Platforms: PC (Windows & Mac)

Pricing: Free up to Level 20, $14.99/mo subscription. The War Within Expansion is $49.99

World of Warcraft UI

Not everyone’s screen will look the same because WoW allows players to mod the UI to change what it shows and how it shows it. At a high level, this is what you’ll see:

1. Health Bar - Keep track of your health and resources such as mana or energy

2. Buff + Debuffs - Shows the current power ups or negative effects on your character

3. Minimap - See nearby objectives or items to gather

4. Damage / healing meters - Used to see your real time performance in an encounter (or for post analysis)

5. Character - Your character is in the middle of the screen, with other players and NPCs inhabiting the world with you

   1. Blue names - other players

   2. Green names - friendly NPCs

   3. Yellow names - neutral NPCs

   4. Red names - hostile NPCs

6. Chat - Chats with other players, your guild, or whispers to friends, show up here. This will also be your combat log

7. Ability Hotbar - A customizable bar for your abilities, spells, or items

8. Menu Bar - Buttons that open up various menus: character sheet (to manage gear), inventory, etc. You also access game menus to change settings.

demure: (adjective) - modest, reserved, serious. Currently a massive TikTok and social trend with a bit of a sarcastic take on the “very demure, very mindful” way to do things.

“You see how I do my makeup for work? Very demure, very mindful. I don’t look like a clown when I come to work. I don’t do too much. I’m very mindful while I’m at work.”

MOBAs, FPS, & RTS, Oh My!

Game genres are so diverse (and full of acronyms). We’re breaking down some of the major ones. Many games ‘borrow’ from multiple genres but this is a good primer:

• FPS (First-Person Shooter): Played from the protagonist's perspective, often with a heads-up display. Ex: VALORANT, Counter-Strike, Call of Duty

• Third-Person Shooter: Played from behind the character, showing the character and the environment. Ex: Gears of War, Resident Evil

• RTS (Real-Time Strategy): Real-time skirmishes with small squads, requiring quick decision-making. Ex: StarCraft

• Turn-Based Strategy: Players take turns making moves, allowing for more strategic and deliberate gameplay. Examples: XCOM, Heroes of Might & Magic

• 4X (EXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate): Involve long-term strategy and empire building. Ex: Civilization, Endless Space, Stellaris

• RPG (Role-Playing Games): Focus on character development, storytelling, and often open-ended gameplay. Ex: Elder Scrolls, Baldur’s Gate

• ARPG (Action RPG): Emphasizes real-time combat, character progression, and lots of battles, usually isometric view Ex: Diablo

• JRPG (Japanese RPG): Typically features turn-based combat, deep storytelling, and often anime-inspired visuals. Ex: Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Persona

• MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online RPG): RPG gameplay with a massive online environment. Ex: World of Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls Online

• MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena): Teams competing to destroy the opposing team's base. Ex: Dota 2, League of Legends

• Adventure: Emphasize story, exploration, and puzzle-solving. Ex: Legend of Zelda, Uncharted, Red Dead Redemption

• Platformer: Primarily involve jumping and navigating through levels. Ex: Super Mario Bros

• Souls-Like: Challenging games with tough enemies, sparse checkpoints, and atmospheric settings. Ex: Dark Souls, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

• Metroidvania: Combine platforming, exploration, upgrades unlocking new areas, and RPG elements. Ex: Metroid, Castlevania, Hollow Knight

• Simulation: Mimic real-world activities, often focusing on realism and management. Ex: The Sims, Farming Simulator, PowerWash Simulator

• Sports: Simulate real-world sports. Ex: NBA 2K, Madden, FIFA

• Rhythm: Require players to press buttons in time with music or other sounds. Ex: Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution

• Puzzler: Challenge players to solve problems using logic and reasoning. Ex: Portal, Tetris, The Witness

• Fighting: One-on-one combat, often with special moves and combos. Ex: Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Tekken

• Survival: Players must survive in hostile environments by gathering resources and managing health. Ex: Minecraft, Don't Starve, Rust

• Battle Royale: Large groups of players compete in a last-man-standing format. Ex: Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone

Now that your students are stocked with our back to school must haves, here’s how they can get involved with gaming at school.

College:

• If they want to compete:

  • Find their school’s info here & reach out early to get on their radar as there’s no recruiting portal.

• If they want just want to find like-minded students:

  • More than likely there’s already a club at their school, if so, have them go to their events

  • If there isn’t a club, they’ll need to work with a student life advisor to start one

    • A tip once it’s created: Host diverse events like VALORANT nights, Smash, TCG or board game nights to cater to all gamers.

• Join the Genius League - a dedicated Discord to grow collegiate esports and to provide internships, mentorships, and career development for students.

High School & Middle School Students:

• PlayVS is a great place to start at this age (check their site to see if your school has a program):

  • High School portal

  • Middle School portal

School started over here, so gaming has taken a bit of a backseat but in the next few issues we’ll be touching on the 2024 upcoming game releases, Halloween games, and costumes for gamers.

GLHF,

Chris

Connect with me: LinkedIn, X (Twitter)

What I’m playing: Elden Ring (I only get a few hours a week, so I fear I’ll be playing this until I retire)

As a kid, I experienced the golden age of educational games: Oregon Trail 🐂 , Carmen Sandiego 🌎️, Math Blaster 👾, and Putt-Putt 🚗.

But one of the best was Backyard Baseball, which featured a ragtag roster of kids (think Sandlot + Bad News Bears). The 🐐 was the iconic Pablo Sanchez - maybe one of the greatest video game athletes of all time (up there with Tecmo Bowl’s Bo Jackson).

On Tuesday, it was announced the Backyard series would return to rekindle that magic from 1997. Can they make it modern enough for a new audience while making it retro enough for those who loved it?

If I were them: Make the game work for a modern era while creating apparel, collectibles, and other items for the grown ups who want to wax nostalgic.

Twitter tweet

• The Esports Chosen One? Thundermeow is a 12 year old who has hit the top rank in Valorant, Apex Legends, & Fortnite. The kid has immense mechanical skill and dedication. Managed by his parents, Thundermeow may be the first North American player groomed for esports stardom from a young age. When I look at this, I get vibes of Tiger on TV at 5 years old, stories of Bryce Harper hitting 500+ft homers at 16, and LeBron’s high school games on ESPN. There’s a long road ahead, but I’ll be watching.

• Author Dav Pilkey’s ‘Dog Man’ will be the subject of an upcoming video game. If you have kids under 16, they’ve probably read Dog Man at some point, my kids will be excited by this one.

  

• Chalk this one up in the “Didn’t know I needed this” category - LUSH Cosmetics has partnered with Minecraft for a line of products, because nothing screams clean like scrubbing yourself with a melted Creeper.

• If your child is learning to code, the National Science Foundation has a videogame design competition for K-12 with $100,000 in prizing. This is a great time to get them into STEM while also fostering their passion for gaming. (Thanks to reader Dominique from DC for this one!)

smurf: (noun/verb) - someone who poses as a less experienced player (by creating a new account, playing on their friend's account, etc.) in order to play against opponents below their usual skill level

Synonyms: dupe, hustle

“There’s no way that Jett made that play at this skill level, they have to be smurfing.”

Today, we’re speaking with Doug Benedict, Associate Director of Esports at Radford University in southwest Virginia. Doug operates a collegiate Esports program with 120 student competitors and a facility for the entire campus.

Doug Benedict

What opportunities exist in collegiate esports for high school students?

If your student is exceptional at the game they play, scholarship is available at around 100 different institutions just like for traditional athletics…but collegiate Esports is the pinnacle of interdisciplinary study: If your student is studying Broadcasting, we can give them experience running professional level broadcasts. If your student is studying Sport Management, we can give them team managerial experience. Nutrition, Graphic Design, Marketing, Computer Science, Communication, Physical Therapy, etc. The beauty of Collegiate Esports is the ability to mimic a professional environment, helping students build their resume.  We even have about 3 research projects taking place in our Esports Center a year. Last year we had a Psychology project, Physical Therapy Ph.D. project, and a couple Computer Science projects.

How do you find or recruit students for Radford?

We use a few tools: Stayplugedin.gg to find talent and X (Twitter) to keep track of recruit activity. The most powerful recruitment tool is community. Most of our recruits come from a community that our current players are already involved in. If you are a student looking to be recruited it’s important to network. I have at least three pairs of students who met online and then one advocated for the other to be invited to our tryouts and now they both compete at Radford.

What is the biggest misconception around collegiate esports?

What I hear the most from people who aren’t actively involved in Collegiate Esports revolves around the type of student that engages with us. I think the picture of a collegiate Esports player is very distorted. We know students are playing games, its estimated that 95% of college students play some kind of video game. We know they’ll be playing in their room. Why would we, as Higher Education professionals, not harness the wants and passions of our students to teach them how to live better lives?

Since we opened our facility at Radford, we have seen overwhelmingly positive results in GPA, retention, engagement, and more. The truth is that students want to find a place to belong. We have the data to prove everyone from faculty, to sorority member, to staff, to traditional student athlete, to student government member use our Esports facility. It’s for everyone, not just the most competitive gamers, and that’s how it should be.

Do you have a fun moment that you can share from your interactions with a parent of one of your players/students?

I love when parents get into Collegiate Esports the same way they would traditional athletics. We take a lot from traditional sports. One of the most important things we take is sportsmanship expectations. A Rocket League player’s father attended a LAN tournament with us last semester. The LAN fell apart. What should have been a 2 hour tournament turned into a 7 hour debacle of phone hotspots and broken equipment. When competition finally got underway, tensions were high because of everything that went wrong. Aside from how long this dad stuck around with us, he was there to hype up each of our players individually and take pictures. In the midst of the chaos, he positioned himself to be able to redirect our players to shake the hands of their opponents regardless of the outcome. When parents take ownership of the process, it reassures students of the legitimacy of their work. You don’t have to know anything about the game to make an impact on the experience.

What are the most popular games at Radford?

In this order: Valorant, Overwatch, NBA 2K, and Rocket League

If you have more questions, you can reach Doug at dmbenedict@radford.edu and be sure to follow Radford Esports on Instagram & X.

I’m excited for the weeks ahead. While everyone is thinking about Pumpkin Spice Lattes, I’m excited to talk gaming Halloween costumes and the top video game releases for the 2024 holiday season.

Good luck to all of you parents getting your kids off to school in the next few weeks!

Chris

Connect with me: LinkedIn, X (Twitter)

What I’m playing: Elden Ring

I’ve been engrossed in the Olympics 🥇, who hasn’t? The athletic display, the locale, and the storylines always hook me. But did you know that some of the world’s best are also massive gamers?

🏃‍♂️ The fastest man in the world, Noah Lyles, has showcased his love for Yu-Gi-Oh, Dragonball Z, and League of Legends

👓️ US gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik (aka 'Pommel Horse Guy') can't wait to get home and play Rocket League

🛶 🇪🇸 Bronze Medalist Pau Echaniz said he won’t get back in a canoe until he’s gold rank in League of Legends

Everyone’s a gamer 🎮️ 

1. Roblox reports 79.5M Daily Active Users in their Q2 Earnings Call; that’d make Roblox the 20th largest country in the world 🤯. US & Canada players spent an average of $34.36 in 2024 🤑

   1. That is larger than I could have ever imagined but I see the appeal for early gamers. It opens up a new world of online adventures but with lots of potential issues: trademark infringement, exploitative tactics, and child predators.

   2. It was just banned in Turkey and has a $10M class action around compensation for purchases.

      1. Screen Studies covers Roblox this week but I'd push your younger kids to other games

2. The Senate passed the Kids Online Safety Act last week and it’s now with the House. The goal is to protect children from harmful content and cyberbullying. 1998 was the last time a law was passed to protect kids online; so much has changed since then. There’s still a long way to go, so stay on top of things yourself.

3. In the “You’re never too old” column, there’s a senior esports team in Japan recruiting VALORANT players 59+. I wouldn’t be surprised if we continue seeing more of this. If there’s beer league softball, why not beer league esports?

4. A new study by from Rutgers revealed that gaming, modifying games, and similar hobbies likely form a pathway into high-demand IT fields. We’ve mentioned gaming as a career path in the past.

BACK TO SCHOOL 🏫

Summer is great, but as a parent it feels good knowing you’re sending your kids back to school soon 😆 . We asked Genius League students for their must haves at school so you can get the best gear for your kids. Next issue, we’ll discuss gaming and esports opportunities at school and how to take advantage of them.

For a high school or college student:

Portable Storage - Storing extra files & backing up docs is imperative. Don’t skimp here. The SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD is water resistant with tons of space. ~$164 on Amazon

Power Bank - With so many devices, it’s important to keep them topped up. The Anker Power Bank is easily packed for charging on the go. ~$59 on Amazon

Headset - Whether studying or gaming, a good headset is a must. We love the HyperX Cloud II - a fav of EG’s Jawgemo. It’s comfortable, has great sound, and is relatively cheap. ~$80 on Amazon

Drawing Tablet - The biggest lifesaver for one of our Genius Leaguers in HS and college. The XPPen tablet let them write math notes, make drawings, and use their handwriting to fill out worksheets online. Pretty handy. ~$25 on Amazon

Keyboard - A full keyboard is always more comfortable & for anyone in math or science you need a numberpad. The SteelSeries Apex 3 RGB Gaming Keyboard gives you all that, plus it’s quiet. ~$41 on Amazon

For elementary school kids:

You can’t beat Pokémon back to school gear - especially with some of these 🔥 designs. The poison backpack is too good. ~$10-$65 on Pokémon Center

I love Owala drinkware for our kids. Holds a lot of H20, easy to clean, and stands up to a beating. They now have Marvel, Star Wars, and Harry Potter versions for peak fandom. ~$30 on Amazon

Roblox

Not technically a game, but an online platform where users can create their own games for others to play. Users choose a game, called an experience, and play with others. Because anyone can publish, it’s an imaginative gaming playground. But, as it’s UGC, many games are hit or miss.

The Basics:

Released: 2006

Platforms: PlayStation / Xbox / PC / Mac / Mobile

Pricing: Free to play, with in-game purchases through a virtual currency called ‘Robux’’

Here's what is on screen (PC/Mac version shown).

Roblox Home Screen

When you first open up the game, you’ll be at the Home Screen.

1. Nav panel - this allows you to go to the home screen, the Charts tab to find games (called experiences), customize your avatar, connect with friends and more (the more tab is where you’ll find settings & parental controls)

2. Friends will be shown here and what they’re playing

3. You can search for games to play here

4. Here’s where you can purchase Robux or see your notifications

5. This is a curated main screen where you’ll find trending and recommended games to play - just click to open up the game page and then play.

   1. The numbers under the pictures show the user rating and the current active players (when you are in the Charts tab)

6. Launches a new website where you can download the Roblox software to create your own experiences

For a deeper dive into Roblox - see our full Screen Studies.

NPC: (Noun) - NPC stands for Non-Player Character, a computer controlled character in a video game programmed with set of lines and actions. Used as an insult towards someone believed to act in a similar fashion or someone who is boring and lacks independent thought or actions.

Synonyms: boring, follower, minion, sheep

“Devin is just repeating the same opinions he sees on TikTok, dude is such an NPC.”

Our next back to school issue will focus on gaming and esports opportunities in schools and how students can get more involved in their passion as an extracurricular.

For now, enjoy the rest of your summer 🌞.

GLHF,

Chris

Connect with me: LinkedIn, X (Twitter)

What I’m playing: Elden Ring

Roblox

Not technically a game, but an online platform where users can create their own games for others to play. Users choose a game, called an experience, and play with others. Because anyone can publish, it’s an imaginative gaming playground. But, as it’s UGC, many games are hit or miss. It also feels like a wild, unmoderated smorgasbord.

The Basics:

Released: 2006

Platforms: PlayStation / Xbox / PC / Mac / Mobile

Pricing: Free to play, with in-game purchases available through a virtual currency called ‘Robux’

Whether you’re watching your kid play or wondering what it’s all about, here’s what you’ll be seeing on screen (PC/Mac version shown).

Roblox Home Screen

When you first open up the game, you’ll be at the Home Screen.

1. Nav panel - this allows you to go to the home screen, the Charts tab to find games (called experiences), customize your avatar, connect with friends and more (the more tab is where you’ll find settings & parental controls)

   

   A quick peek at some of the many avatar options that can be bought.

2. If you have friends, they will be shown here and what they’re playing

3. You can search for games to play here

4. Here’s where you can purchase Robux or see your notifications

   

   Current Robux Prices

5. This is a curated main screen where you’ll find trending and recommended games to play.

   1. The numbers under the pictures show the user rating and the current active players (when you are in the Charts tab)

Launches a new website where you can download the Roblox software to create your own experiences

You’ll most likely go to the Charts Tab where you can see a massive plethora of games in a wide range of categories:

The Charts page

When you click a game/experience tile, a new page will pop up with more info on the game, a closer look at the rating, current users, and total visits among other details.

The Game Description Screen

When you’ve finally picked a game (click the giant Green play button), they all have different controls but on PC they all likely use the following:

• WASD keys to move forward, backward, left and right respectively

• The mouse is used to look around and click and interact

• Space Bar makes your character jump

• Shift Key usually makes your character sprint or run fast

• E is used to interact with the world as well

Two of the most popular games are Brookhaven RP & Blox Fruits:

Brookhaven RP - 

A roleplaying universe, where players “own and live in amazing houses, drive cool vehicles and explore the city. Be whoever you want to be in Brookhaven RP” - pretty much a Roblox hangout. You drop into a city and then just go around doing stuff, interacting with others and the world, and chatting. Roughly 800K+ active users.

Brookhaven’s downtown - with multiple options to modify your character

Me in Brookhaven enjoying a milkshake from the Ice Cream Shop behind me

Blox Fruits - 

A team based competitive game that is loosely based upon old school pirates with a twist of anime/super hero powerups. You pick one side, either Pirates or Marines, then do quests to get more experience, money, and equipment. Then “you can choose to fight against tough enemies or have powerful boss battles while sailing across the ocean to find hidden secrets” - roughly 500K+ active users.

The initial side selection for Blox Fruits

Me, battling monkeys on a jungle island

8

As I wandered the boardwalk the other day, I thought to myself, does video gaming skill make you better at carnival games since gamers have great hand eye coordination?

At the boardwalk, there was no shortage of video games on display; the most popular games featured prizes from Super Mario Bros & Pokémon. Gone are the days of Looney Tunes characters & teddy bears 🧸 on the Midway.

Plush Yoshi’s everywhere

In case you were wondering, the answer is no, my gaming skills did not translate to more prizes 😿 or less money spent. Being athletic may help with darts or knocking over milk bottles. These are games of chance (rigged?) for a reason. But, I like to think my accuracy was better than most in the game above; we did go home with Yoshi 💚.

1. The 142nd IOC Session voted for the creation of the Olympic Esports Games 🥇 The first Games will be in Saudi Arabia in 2025.

   • This is a big deal. Esports has always battled to be recognized as a ‘sport’ and now the IOC has deemed it so.

   • NYT has a list of Olympic Games video games if you’re hyped about the start of Paris 2024.

2. Roblox is battling online predators and having some troubles with it, it’s a must read for parents.

   • Online games can be amazing with the right people, but there are bad apples out there. Roblox is trying to combat them, and they did report over 13,000 incidents to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2023.

   • I am probably overly cautious about my children’s access to online games. I’ve only let them play on private Minecraft servers with their older cousins. As they get older, I’ll let them get more involved but knowing what voice chat can be like in games, I’m good keeping them sheltered for now.

   • Our Online Safety Guide provides some tips for you across a variety of platforms. Most importantly, talk to your kids about what they are playing and who they are talking with online.

3. The increasing use of video game metaphors in daily communication 🗣️ mirrors the use of baseball term usage per a Harvard linguistics “etymology nerd”

   • “On deck”, “in the ballpark”, and “curveball”, all have baseball meanings but evolved other non-sports ones over time. With more and more gaming vernacular in your lives, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

4. EA Sports College Football 25 🏈 launched to massive fanfare after an 11 year hiatus and 2.2MM people paid $100 to play the game 3 days early!

   • It is extremely rare for a game 11 years in the making to live up to the hype, yet this one has.

   • Also, if you loved NCAA amateurism, you can likely blame video games for ruining it for you.

diff: (noun) - Short for difference; used to describe a skill difference between players on opposing teams, or teams in general

Synonym: skill gap

If someone thinks the tank on the enemy team is better than the tank on their team or has performed better during that game, they'll say "tank diff"

League of Legends

Commonly referred to as ‘League’ or LoL, it is a multiplayer online battle arena published by Riot Games and is one of the most played games worldwide.

In the game, two 5v5 teams defend their own half of the map. Every player manages a unique "champion" with distinct abilities and playstyles. Champions gain strength throughout the match by accumulating experience points, gold, and buying items, all of which help them overpower the rival team. Victory is achieved by demolishing the opponent’s ‘Nexus’, a building situated in their base.

It could be said that League put esports on the map; the World Championship has sold out the likes of Beijing National Stadium and the Chase Center in SF, with opening acts like LilNasX and NewJeans.

The Basics:

Released: 2009

Platforms: PC (a Mobile version called Wild Rift is available)

Pricing: Free with in-game transactions

Here’s what you’ll be seeing on screen:

League of Legends Interface

1. Info on your target - their stats and health among other things

2. High Level Game and Player stats (Left to Right):

   1. Kill Score by team - Red vs Blue

   2. Your own Kills / Deaths / Assists

   3. Your Creep Score (how many minions you’ve killed)

   4. The Game Timer

3. Your Character. Health bar on top and mana/energy bar below. Blue is mana, yellow is energy - they function similarly in that you use them to fuel abilities.

4. Minions - CPU controlled for each side. They are sent down each of three lanes in waves automatically engaging any enemy they encounter.

5. Turrets - Also called towers, they deal damage to enemy minions and champions, and provide limited vision from the Fog of War for their team. There are 11 towers per side that can be defeated to take over the other team’s side.

6. An Enemy Champion - Health bar on top and mana/energy bar below. The purple circle around him is the area of effect of his ability.

7. Your teammates - You can see their health and mana quickly

8. Chat - Player chat as well as game updates get posted here

9. Your Champions Stats & Abilities - Detailed stats on the left, your champion level and the XP you need to level up (purple curve around the Champion portrait), and all your abilities (the square boxes). Most champions have five abilities: a Passive, three Basics, and an Ultimate. Special Summoner Spells like Flash (an instant-dash), the black silhouette with yellow background, are also there. Summoner spells are abilities with unique effects. A few commonly used ones are Flash, Teleport, Smite, and Ignite.

10. Your Equipment - Items enhance your champion’s performance, like granting faster movement, improved damage, and reduced ability cooldowns. They require gold to purchase. The gold you have is under them.

11. The Minimap - Think of this like a birds-eye view of the battlefield. You can see the positions of champions, minions, wards, towers, and more. The white rectangle shows the part of the map the screen is currently on. It also shows which parts of the map are in the Fog of War and which parts aren't.

VIDEO GAME SUMMER CAMP

A few years back - Evil Geniuses ran a summer camp for kids (and their parents) who wanted to learn more about esports and League of Legends. We’ve posted one of the League of Legends overviews to our website if you want to dive even deeper into the game.

It’s high summer - the time for vacations, the beach, barbecues, and sun 🌞 . While portable gaming can make road trips easier, sometimes you can’t beat fun car games like the License Plate game (my kids are hooked on this, but we did see 47/50 states!!), the Minister’s Cat, or ‘I’m Going on a Picnic’.

As we get closer to August, the end of summer is on the horizon. We’ll be checking out back to school for gamers in the next couple of newsletters. Enjoy those last days of summer!

GLHF,

Chris

Connect with me: LinkedIn, X (Twitter)

What I’m playing: Elden Ring