December 9, 2005 Source: Simon Fraser University:
http://www.sfu.ca/mediapr/news_releases/archives/news12090501.htm Techie toys for the holidays from the elves at SFU Surrey December 09, 2005
Last-minute gift shopping got you down? Take a tip from the elves at SFU Surrey's School of Interactive Arts and Technology and check out their recommended list of techie toys: Associate professor Jim Bizzocchi and his fourth-year electronic game design class name their top five video games for 2005: We Love Katamari (PlayStation 2); Call of Duty 2 (PC & Xbox 360); Nintendogs (Nintendo DS); Resident Evil 4 (Game Cube & PlayStation 2); and Guitar Hero (PlayStation 2). For computer gamers, computing science lecturer Toby Donaldson suggests City of Villains. "Why be good when you can be bad? You play a comic book villain in a massive world-wide game environment. Build your fortress of evil, plan heists, gather your minions." A puzzle and game fan, Donaldson's low-tech recommendations include: Blokus, "an elegant colourful board game where the object is to place as many pieces as you can while always touching an existing piece"; Zendo, "a game unlike any other: it's science in a box. Through a process of inductive reasoning you must figure out a rule known only to the Zen master"; TipOver, "simultaneously satisfying humanity's natural urge to solve puzzles and push things over"; and Zubbles, "colored bubbles. They're bright, consistent colors that won't stain your clothes-or your kids." For younger folks, associate professor Alissa Antle, an expert on child-centred design and interactive play, recommends the Batman Long Range Night Vision Headband Walkie Talkies; the Leapfrog Leapster Learning Game System; Digital Blue Binoculars; Zizzle iZ, "the musical toy for the iPod generation,"; myTego, which lets you design your own cell phone, iPod, or PDA cover; and the latest version of the ever-popular Furby. No-cost options recommended by both Antle and Donaldson include Google Earth, which provides a 3-D view of anywhere on Earth, and Flickr, "a fun-to-use picture site that is the best way to share your photos with family and friends on the web."- 30 -
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