johnporcaro: mktg@large

Your Kid Could Create the next Halo Game

Well, maybe not the next "Halo," but he or she could be well on their way to creating a fun PC or Xbox 360 game with Kodu, a free set of fun tools from Microsoft.  And for the competitive kids out there, there's real money up for grabs! 

From readwriteweb:

Microsoft is releasing a new version of its Kodu Game Lab today, and it's also kicking off its Kodu Cup Competition for students ages 9 to 17. The competition asks kids to design their own video game using Kodu, and the winners will compete for a $5000 prize for themselves, along with $5000 for their school and a trip to the worldwide finals of Microsoft's Imagine Cup competition.

Check out this short video with a brief introduction.  Then download the tools, and get playing!

 

Top Ten Reasons to Gear Up for Halloween

I’m not quite sure why, but Halloween is one of the biggest holidays we decorate for, get ready for, have boxes of decorations for, and seem to enjoy as a family. 

Maybe it’s that it’s been so long since a “proper” holiday, the kind that people decorate for.  Can’t recall putting up decorations for Labor Day or Columbus Day.  So the second the calendar turns to October, the boxes come out.

We have nearly as many boxes of Halloween decorations as we do Christmas decorations. And despite our recent effort to stay far, far away from the producers of “Hoarders,” we have enough to make our house look like the set for The Haunted Mansion.

We have some pretty set traditions around Halloween, that make it something that ties us all together as a family—so it’s always really pleasant and exciting for the kids. 

So for your reading pleasure, I present (in no particular order),

The Top Ten Reasons to Gear Up for Halloween

1. Visiting the Pumpkin Patch.  We haven’t gone this year yet, but we will soon.  We love picking out a few pumpkins, wandering around in the hay mazes, getting all muddy and cold and having hot apple cider before we leave. 

 

 

2. Picking apples.  We’ve only been a couple of times, but it’s something the kids enjoy.  And we eat a LOT of apples around our place.  It seems to be everyone’s favorite late night snack.  Especially Dad’s.

 

 

3. Decorating the House. Dragging the boxes from the attic and remembering all the funky stuff we’ve accumulated over the years.  The door knocker with the creepy music.  The hand that walks by itself.  The cat whose head spins around and around.  And the “Halloween Tree” that holds the Jack Skellington ornaments.  Strange how spider webs and creepy music seem to be acceptable one month of the year…

 

4. Picking out a costume.  We always plan on using our “costume box,” but usually end up buying costumes at Target or the overpriced Party store. But the joy it brings when your child get just the right costume—it’s (almost) worth the $40 for the cheap cloth and plastic that (hopefully) lasts one night.

 

 

5. Decorating Pumpkins.  Each year, the tools get better, and the pumpkins get more elaborate.  I can't wait to see what we come up with this year!

 

 

6. The “Microsoft Halloween Party.”  This year will be the first year my kids haven’t gone to the Microsoft Halloween Party.  Every building decorates, most people put candy outside their office doors, and my kids (usually accompanied by a friend) make out like bandits, filling a bag with candy.  With small offices or cubicles all offering candy, and none of the “trick-or-treat” begging, they can get 200 small candy bars in an hour or two.  Despite that, they always want to go out to the parties that happen later, and then Trick or Treating. 

 

7. Planning or attending a party with friends.  I’m not sure if it’s because trick or treating is becoming out of fashion, or that Halloween is becoming more and more social—whatever the reason, there always seems to be one or two friends who really go all out to decorate, and act as a home base for trick or treating.  We’ve been the host family, and we’ve been guests.  Either way, having a place to meet, before or after going out with the kids is a fun thing to do on Halloween night.

 

8. Visiting Haunted Houses.  They get less and less scary every year, at least that's what my kids tell me.  What is it that makes us want to be scared, puposefully?  I never really did like haunted houses, so the ones we've been to have been pretty tame. 

 

 

9. Trick or Treating. Even though this may be one of the last years for the older kids, being “pre-teens” hasn’t slowed them down in their desire to traipse around in the dark, visiting one of the popular neighborhoods with lots of houses.  

 

 

SIDEBAR: Why is is that on one night of the year, we encourage our kids to do most of the things we spend the rest of the year telling them to avoid? 

A) Going out in the night and wandering up and down the street.
B) Going to strangers houses and demanding candy (actually threatening a trick without a treat!)
C) Taking candy from strangers
D) Eating their body weight in fat and carbs

 

10. Gorging on candy for the first few days of November.  There’s always the promise that it’ll all last until Thanksgiving, but by November 3, only the hard candy at the bottom of the bag is left. 

 

 

Ah, Halloween. 

Disclosure: I wrote this post while participating in a blog campaign by Dad Central Consulting and they sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Son of Peter Molyneux (creator of Fable) to Valve

Peter Molyneux is one of the most well-known game developers on the planet, most recently working on Fable 3 (I can't wait, it's one of my favorite Xbox franchises). 

His son had some feedback that he wanted to give Valve, the creators of Half Life.   Rather than rely on his Dad to pass the word along, Peter (brilliantly) pointed a video camera at his son, and let him do the talking for himself.  My guess, Valve got the message...



Your Shape: Fitness Evolved Looking Better and Better

Your Shape: Fitness Evolved for the Xbox 360 Kinect is one of the products I'm looking forward to the most this fall.   It's the perfect mix of three of my favorite things: Working Out, Playing Videogames, and Men's FItness Magazine.  And knowing that it comes from Ubisoft gives me some confidence that it's going to be solid.  

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I got to try it out at BlogHer, and I was really impressed.  And today I saw some new screen shots Ubisoft published, to announce the partnership with Men's Fitness and Women's Fitness.   

Ubisoft released details of the game, that include keeping track of your stats, like calories and scores. And for the non-timid, all of your stats are uploaded seamlessly online and can be shared with friends and family. I love that you can create challenges among friends and help each other reach fitness goals.

The game comes with hundreds of exercises, and there will be regular downloadable content releases from Xbox LIVE. I can't wait to challenge my friends using Xbox LIVE Multiplayer.  Getting in shape will never be the same!  I can't wait to play it with my kids, but this time, by myself...   

From the Press Release:

The programs from Men’s Health include “The Sleeve-Busting Arms Workout,” and “The Ultimate Men’s Health Fat Loss Workout.” The workout programs from Women’s Health include “The Perfect Legs and Butt Workout,” “The Toned Arms and Shoulders Workout,” and “The Skinny Jeans Workout”. All workouts are designed so that users can integrate free weights into the programs.  Read more...

This post is my own opinion, and I have not received any compensation or products from Ubisoft, nor are they a client of my firm.  

He's The Dad: Dad of Divas

 
I like reading Dad of Diva's blog for several reasons.  He's got an easy-to-read personal style, and he posts lots of pictures of his family, making me feel like I'm hanging out with them on their adventures.  He has guests post occasionally, and he does a great job balancing personal posts with product reviews. 

I particularly like his series "Dads in the Limelight."  I enjoy learning more about Dads who might not be part of the "Dad Blogger" circle, and the interview style is informative, and always leaves me inspired. 

I was happy to see my former co-worker, Jeff Bell, featured this week (as the 56th profile!).  I worked for Jeff at Xbox, where he was VP of Global Marketing.  I always enjoyed Jeff's optimistic attitude, his knowledge of marketing and business, and his personal style.  And I knew him as a great Dad, since he often talked about his kids. 

Check out Dad of Diva's blog, and while you're there, be sure to subscribe!

Here's a bit more about him, from his About Page:

I am a father of two girls who everyday works to regain control of my kingdom. Is this even possible in a divadom? This blog is dedicated to chronicling my experiences and challenges in being a father as well as providing some food for thought to other dads. History of this Blog - I started writing this blog full time in January 2008 prior to my second daughters' birth. Since then, the blog has exponentially grown and I have continued to find my groove through both reading and networking with other bloggers as well as writing on a myriad of varying topics. Outside of home I am a Student Affairs Professional who has been working in the field of College Administration now for 10 years with extensive experience in precollege planning, admission, advising, and other areas.

Moving from Big Company to Startup: Top Ten Differences

So here's my take on what it's like moving from a mega-company to a micro-company.  My first "real" job was working for a pretty small computer company, Migent, Inc.  There were maybe 50 people there.  My next job was for Sun Microsystems, where the division I worked in had 200 people.  In 1990, I moved to Seattle to join Microsoft, who had 3500 employees.  When I left, the company was nearing 100,000 people.

Mom Central, Inc. has a staff smaller than the Global Marketing team I was on when I left.  About 25% of the team I was on.  So naturally, there are a lot of things that are different about the job I have now.

My old friend, and now new boss Stacy DeBroff puts it this way: It's like cliff diving into a kiddie pool. Truer words...  

So in the spirit of sharing, here are:

The Top Ten Things That Are Different between Microsoft and Mom Central (okay, top 12)

Toilet Seats: Big companies have large restrooms lined with rows of urinals and toilets, and several sinks with automated soap dispensers and water and faucets and towels.  This building has two bathrooms, shared by everyone.  I haven't had to put a toilet seat DOWN at work as long as I can remember.  Yesterday, in a move that reaffirmed that I'm working with a bunch of moms, one of the soap dispensers was nearly empty, and later in the day, I noticed the same dispenser had a bit more soap, but watered down.  Gotta love that...

Building Access: Setting the code to lock the door at the end of the day.  At Microsoft, everyone has a card key, and the buildings are basically open 24 hours a day.  And there is almost always a handful of people working late into the night, or who come in very early.  I was working past six last night, and found I was the second-to-last to leave.  When a co-worker needed to head home, she let me know she had the key to the external door, and the code to set the alarms. So until I get my own key (if?), I go home when the last person goes home.  And so far, it's rarely been past six o'clock.  

Cafeteria: Microsoft had a Starbucks in the building I was in, and a huge cafeteria (the Commons) right next door.  Here, you get to walk a block or two to a local sandwich shop, or bring your own lunch.  So far this week, I've made it out of my office long enough to get lunch exactly once.  And I'm thinking that's common around here.  

 Marketing, Advertising, and PR agencies all have one thing icommon: They all use Macs.  I haven't touched a Mac since I joineMicrosoft 20 years ago.  OMG.  How do people work with only one mouse button?  Why are some shortcuts done with the control key, and others the command key?  How do I switch between open windows in the same app?  Why the $#@% is the close button in the upper LEFT, not the upper right?  And how do I turn off bouncing icons at the bottom of my screen?  I have my PC laptop sitting on the desk next to my Mac, so when I get frustrated, i can switch over quickly.  

Architecture: Seattle, especially Redmond, was completely forest just 50 years ago.  Every building is brand new.  Concrete, steel, glass.  Mom Central is housed in a brick and wood-beamed warehouse, nicely modernized inside, but very different.  In a really cool way.  

 SWAG Table: Ha, some things never change.  Maybe every marketing company has a SWAG (stuff we all get) table.  At Xbox, we had copies of Xbox games, stacks of Official Xbox Magazine, left over Halo 3 tee shirts, old mice, Crackdown mugs, Halo 3 action figures.  Here, there's an equally stocked SWAG table, but with items the brands we work with are promoting.  But here, you'll find kids videos, soap, and sometimes food--like boxes of multi-grain Pringles that everyone fights over...

Executive Leadership Access: One company has a CEO with double-walled security and more than one receptionist/assistant.  If you need a meeting with Mr. Ballmer, it might take 3 months to get on his calendar.  Here, our CEO shares her office as a conference room, and if you need something, you just call out her name down the hall.  

Security: At Microsoft, we had badges that had to be worn at all times, PCs that locked with encrypted screen savers, receptionists in front of glass doors in all buildings, the usual corporate stuff.  At Mom Central, everyone is careful with their work, but just yesterday I opened a window (impossible to do at any MS building I was ever in), and had to be reminded to shut it and lock it before I left.  My PC is generally left unsupervised, and I'm comfortable keeping the screen saver set to 20 minutes instead of 2.  

Benefits: At Microsoft, there is 100% paid medical insurance, including family and domestic partners, Vision Insurance, Dental Insurance, Psychiatric/Counseling insurance, matched 401k, Employee stock purchase program, Stock Grants for some as a bonus, Tuition reimbursement, discounted emergency child care, a free commuter bus to work (with free wifi), a Free Mass-Transit pass for buses/trains, a fully paid enrollment in the best health club in town, discounted Legal insurance, paid Life insurance for you and family members/domestic partners, Adoption benefits, Tuition reimbursement. Starbucks Coffee on every floor, stocked fridges of every kind of soda, you get the idea.  At Mom Central, let's just say being in startup mode makes the benefits list not quite as robust as the other guys.  Upside: We get to build the company, we earn what we make, and everyone pitches in to make the firm successful.  And I'm happy trading that for the benefits I gave up leaving Microsoft.    

Columbus Day!: I didn't think Columbus Day was a real holiday, but it's on the paid day off list at Mom Central.  Along with most other holidays, and a few "floating holidays" to boot.  Very cool.  

Working Attire: At Microsoft, there basically is NO dress code (barring some HR violation...).  People wear shorts, tee shirts, and sandals most days.  One of my only questions before coming to Mom Central was what to wear.  Business Casual.  Since I only own two pair of black slacks and one pair of black shoes, and maybe 5 button-down shirts, I'm in trouble.  Can't wait for "Friday Casual" day!  

Fiscal Responsibility: It's one thing to own a $13 million budget.  It's another thing to now own my own P&L.  So I'm staying at the Red Roof Inn instead of the W, renting an economy compact car instead of a midsize, and flying red-eye economy instead of business class.  But the money I save goes to the profitability of my new division.  That, I really like.  

SO WHAT HAS NOT CHANGED?  Working with smart, passionate people.  Free sodas, including Snapples in the fridge!  And really enjoying the people I work with.  

Best of all, this is an environment built on trust, shared goals, focus, passion, and the talent of people who really understand how to work with big brands, and with influential community members, bloggers, tweeters, and advocates.  THAT makes all the change worth it.  

Videogame Study Shows Kids Play Sports in Real Life Too

Owen Good at Kotaku (a very popular videogame blog) comments on a new study that came out of Europe that shows that 75% of kids that play videogames also play a sport.  Not exactly the stereotype of the anti-social,couch-dwelling teen so many parents fear. My son loves FIFA Soccer on the Xbox, but spends a lot more time playing soccer as a goalie for his select team.   

From Kotaku:

"The UK industry group TIGA touted the research, done a by a French business school’s sports marketing department. The study found 38 per cent of boys (well, males under 21) who played sports games practised their favourite video game sport in real life. Additionally, the study said 75 per cent of all gamers also took part in some kind of real sport. […]

“Video games are frequently demonised,” said a representative of the French business school. “We now know that these fears are unfounded.There is a strong correlation between playing video games and participating in real sports. Watching television is a threat to physical activity. Video games are not, however.”

Videogames are like any kind of passive activity—there’s a time and a place for it.  For kids, make sure they’re getting lots of variety, and don’t worry if they’re into a game for a while.  Just know what they’re playing, who they’re playing with, and set responsible limits. 

Do Videogames Cause Attention Problems in Kids?

A new study came out in the July issue of Pediatrics that shows a link between “screen time” (TV, computers, or videogames) and a teacher’s evaluation of attention problems with kids.  

Okay, disclosure time: 1) I’m not a doctor or psychiatrist; 2) I’m not an expert on clinical research; 3) I haven’t seen the study, and don't know if it was validly conducted; 4) Until recently, videogames paid all my bills; and 5) I have some experience with several family members being treated for ADHD.

Here’s what the study says:

"Researcher Edward Swing, a graduate student at Iowa State University, compared participants who watched TV or played video games less than two hours a day -- the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics for children aged 2 and older -- to those who watched more.

"Those who exceeded the AAP recommendation were about 1.6 times to 2.2 times more likely to have greater than average attention problems," he said."

Dr. Dimitri Christakis, the George Adkins Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle has researched the topic, and said this:

"...[attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder] is 10 times more common today than it was 20 years ago," he said. "Although it is clear that ADHD has a genetic basis, given that our genes have not changed appreciably in that timeframe, it is likely that there are environmental factors that are contributing to this rise." He and other experts suspect excessive media as a contributor."

My humble opinion:

Videogame play (and other “screen time”) DOES NOT CAUSE attention problems in kids, and “screen time” DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE to the rise in cases of ADHD.

Here’s the thing:

1) Doctors are much more familiar with ADHD than they were 20 years ago. So of course it’s being caught and treated more than it was.  I hope that 20 years from now they’re successfully treating 10 times more disorders than they are today.  Medicines are more prevalent, more advertised, and more recommended because they work.

2) “Screen Time” is more prevalent, and is more a part of our lives because it’s more accessible than it was 20 years ago.  I imagine that 20 years ago the kids with untreated ADHD were spending too much time reading comics or novels or taking things apart or playing “army” (or “doctor”) in the woods with their friends. 

3) Children with attention problems are more likely to turn to things that demand more attention, like videogames and TV, or the Internet.  It’s more interesting.  It’s more satisfying.  And ultimately, it might be better for them than hanging out at home or with their friends unsupervised. 

4) Parents of kids with attention problems are more likely to be frustrated with their kids behavior, and more willing to allow them to spend more time doing things on their own.  Bored kids are tough on parents. 

5) A child or adult with ADHD, who is being successfully treated (medically and behaviorally), is not really much different than a child or adult without ADHD.  For the sake of the study, I hope they isolated kids who were diagnosed with ADHD and accounted for that. 

Incidentally, one of the side effects of ADHD is the inability to accurately estimate time spent or budgeted for activities.  And since ADHD is largely passed on genetically, I might question the research if it was solely reported by the students. 

BOTTOM LINE: Be responsible.  Make sure your kids are getting their homework done, that they’re spending time doing physical activities.  More than a couple of hours of “screen time” a day is probably plenty, but everyone needs to zone out every now and then, whether it’s watching TV, playing videogames, or browsing the web.  And if you or your kids’ teachers think they’re not paying attention, check with your physician or counselor, and don’t rule out being treated for ADHD.

Just don’t blame videogames.

Do Violent Videogames Affect Your Kid's Behavior?

Do violent videogames affect your kid's behavior?  Rio Wave, writing for Helium, asks Do video games influence your child's actions? His response:

"The short answer is yes, video games do in fact influence the behavior of children, however not nearly to the extent that the media claims. Really everything in the media influences children in one way or another, and the truth of the matter is that there are way more things being aimed towards children that have far worse effects on children then pixilated violence. The worst these kids ever do is act out their video games during play, it’s no different than playing cops and robbers."

 I have been involved in the videogame industry for 15 years, and I have been playing videogames for 30 years (some violent), so I have some experience in this area.  This is a picture of my youngest daughter playing the Xbox 360 about a month before it official shipped in 2005. 

I agree with most of his article, but my "short answer" would be NO.  But like all absolute statements, there are always some qualifications. 

If someone is already prone to violence, videogames might give a child ideas and tactics that they might not have thought of on their own.  Same could be said of TV shows, movies, books, even stories told by friends and family. 

Videogames can be something that a child uses to escape "the real world," just like TV, books, or hanging out alone in a bedroom.  The truth is, I've seen my kids become more social as they play online. As they play even non-violent games, I see them planning strategies, learning teamwork skills, handling pressure, losing gracefully, and working together with friends.

Videogames are part of our culture, especially with our kids.  If they're not playing them in your home, they're playing them at a friend's house.  Rather than lumping all videogames into bad vs. good, it's best for parents to be mindful of what their kids are playing. 

There are good tools parents can use, from parental controls on a game console (you can block games with certain ratings, or even limit the time kids can play per day or week), to watching what games your child is playing from their public or local gaming profile.  You should even take time to play games with them, to get a good idea of what a game is like, and what your child is like when they're playing them.

The ESA (Entertainment Software Association) has come up with the ESRB ratings sytem, and they enforce it among game manufacturers and retailers.  They also have some good tips for parents at their website, including A Parent's Guide to Video Games, Parental Controls and Online Safety (English). 

Another great site for parents is What They Play, a great site created to help parents learn about every videogame their kids might be playing.  They have a newsletter, and even a podcast.  Check it out. 

How to Avoid Becoming a Failed Gaming Parent

My friend Brian Crecente writes a great post called Confessions of A Failed Gaming Parent on Kotaku, a popular videogame website. 

He did everything right: He uses the parental controls built into the Xbox 360, and he uses a password to allow content he finds appropriate for his 9 year old.  But his son outsmarted him by getting him to allow him to play Modern Warfare 2 when his parents thought he was doing something else (making maps in Halo 3).   It’s tough to keep track of everything, I know it’s hard to monitor what my kids are doing all the time, no matter how hard we try.

From Brian:

   Eventually, we caught him in the act.

It's a reminder that as parents we have to remain constantly vigilant. Something Microsoft gets. It's part of the reason, it seems, that the company is rolling out even more robust parental controls come this fall.

He then offers more details on the Family Center coming out on the Xbox this fall:

You can, under the new system, divvy out an allowance of points that can be spent on Xbox 360 games, avatars and add-ons. You will also be able to track exactly what all four account holders are doing through an online monitor. The family plan will also include regular discounts geared toward families, like maybe a price cut for a game like Uno on Xbox Live.

What intrigues me most about the Family Center is that activity monitor, which can show you what games are being played by each account holder and for how long.

Read more about what’s coming in the rest of the article on Kotaku.