Say it ain't so, but for a lot of biased gamers out there, they seemed to have put there foot deep in their mouths this time. It was stated by many when the Nintendo Wii came out that they shouted "GIMMICK!!!!!" , or simply stated that it would not sell like or better than the other consoles. No only were they incredibly wrong, but the other big players in the console wars have also jumped on board as well. It's not like me to say that I told you so, but "I TOLD YOU SO!!!!" It does make me chuckle a bit to see that gaming is going in the physical interaction direction, and a lot of these so called gamers act like they been blind-sided, and are screaming out, "WHY?????" For a lot of these people I say, "Welcome to the future" Please, before you comment on this, know that I totally recognize this only one part of the aspect of gaming, and in no way do I see controller based games being replaced like so many Beta Max to VHS. I just want to express the joy that I am feeling right now as I watch the gaming world turn in awesome direction ...... The direction guided by Motion Control.

Before it was called EB Games I worked a store called Electronics Boutique, and all who worked in that store were true gamers. I say true gamers, because no one was truly biased. We all owned just about every system out for the last ten years prior. We did the gamers night thing, and during these sleepless nights from playing Super Mario to Metal Slug, we talked about the directions of gaming and what we would like to see happen. I remember one of my friends saying, "Dude if only we could have a better Virtual Boy". That was one of Nintendo stab at 3D gaming. Yes it was cumbersome, but it was a direction in the right light. we talked about all the aspects of Virtual gaming, you know like actually being placed in the game, and going toe to toe with, or against the AI. There's nothing like really being the one who saved the Princess with your own agility, and dexterity. With that said allow me to get to the heart of the matter.

Why Motion Control is here to stay is simple yet it's functionality is endless.

Lets be honest here most of us here aren't in the best shape, and honestly that's not the video game's fault, it's really the fault of the gamer, because when we were kids we outside playing ninja, wizard, cops and robbers, man-hunt, or something to that degree we were burning off lots of pent up energy. Now we have games to totally live out our fantasieslike when we were kids outside, hence why we stay inside, and the couch has become our best friend. I'm not speaking just for myself, but as my friends, and other gamers that I have met over the years. Motion gaming is the key to live a healthy gaming life. Now your other half, friends, or parents can't say, "All you do is sit around playing Video games!! Why don't you get up, and go play?!?!?!?!" With this you won't have that problem. So with that said lets get into the Who's Who, and What's What of Motion Control. Walk with me ...........

Nintendo Wii

Right now the undisputed king of Motion Control on the market, simply because there nothing else for the consumer to purchase in this area. Ever since November of 2006 the gaming world has never been the same. The introduction that gaming will make you sweat a bit, and you'll have fun doing it. Also, you never realized until later ( you know when your pants are falling off you) that in some shape or form you've been working out. While there technology isn't as precise as the newer models of other consoles coming out, you have give them credit where credit is due. This truly opened the gaming market to casual gamers every where. This has brought some families closer together, because now everyone in the house is getting involved. With its non-complex control setup Mom doesn't have to ask little James how to select the game, much less turn it on. Now some in house competition that does family, and friendsgood by relieving stress, and just having a good time with one another. Yes the Wii, I'm sure, has been the savior of a few families by keeping them together through fun interaction with the consoles and themselves. Thank you Nintendo for being a pioneer in this industry.

Microsoft Kinect

A hands free gaming unit. This could be the best thing since sliced bread, (you know, if they get it right). Being totally hands free this 3D motion capture system hopes to make alot of the dashboard, and Kinetic gaming functionality hands free. Now I watched the E3 on this, and while nothing that they presented blew me away completely, what did take my breathe away was the potential aspects for this this system. I watched the P.T. do the martial arts portion of this, and while she was just breaking bricks I was just taken back to the days when I dreamed of this being reality. Imagine away to learn in your own home without the need to feel self conscious. This gives you the ability to build confidence in your own abilities, so when you go to take real instruction you won't feel like such a Noob. Take what I just said, and expand on this thought. You can use this for physical rehabilitation, learn different types of sports, help improve your own agility, and dexterity. This obviously is justsome of the awesome functions it provides. One other is that you won't have to worry about throwing your controller through your TV (always a winner in my book).

Sony Playstation Move

With true 1:1 technology in some respects I view this as the "Wii improved". This unit moves with you up, down, left, right, and everywhere in between true and true without missing a beat. Even with that said I am still so impressed with what they have accomplished. Now, there's finally a sword fighting game that will react properly to my reactions, no offense to Red Steel 2 lovers every where. Simply put this is going to be awesome, because it looks to get everything right that the Wii just didn't. I'm not saying that they can't, but it's strange to see Sony holding what Nintendo should have had by now. Combined with the Eye Toy, and the (Wizard's Magic) LED Wand this unit makes for a great addition to the genre of Motion control.

I am excited about the upcoming future of gaming, and where motion control is taking it. Soon we won't have to worry about kids just sitting around, because they will actually be doing something. Families will now have opportunity to interact with one another more frequently now, and most importantly most gamers weights will go down, because we've been saving Zelda.

I am writing this, because well ........

It all started when I was re-organizing my games for a trip I am going to be taking back to the states. As I was going through my 360 games I was taken back to how many games I have in just this section of my collection that I have not beaten. Now I went to my achievement list on my console, and on some games I hadn't earned on single achievement. Now, I am thinking to myself, "Wow, what the heck man". I decide to start to play some of the games, and I noticed that these games are awesome, so I try and figure out why I left these untouched for so long. After a few minutes it had hit me, there were some games I bought that were just fillers in between the major titles of year that were coming out.

I would go over my long list of unbeaten games, but I really don't want to be made fun of because of it, so going on further, is there anyone else out there that same issue as I do? Do you just have a stack of games that you have allowed the dust to settle, and allowed obscurity to claim them? Is maybe because the games were so crappy that you put them down, and just wanted to forget that you ever bought it (you know like Care-Bear Cruising Cart Racing). Or is it that the market that we invest in so heavily as gamers is over saturated with (good & bad) games? Or, are you one the few that has vanquished every boss, saved every last princess, and kingdom, fought the hordes of evil and lived to talk about it another day? Are you one of those gamers that frames his/her achievement/trophy score on the wall, because you rocked every game to the end with no turning back?

Let me know where you are at.

Let me just get to the point here. This game is a 10 out of 10 in my book. This game frightens, makes you twitchy, jumpy, and perspire just a bit in the hands. Not only does it bring the fear factor element that Resident Evil was lacking this year, but it delivers a story inspired from some of the best stuff that could have been found in the early days of the Twilight Zone/Alfred Hitchcock(you know when the writing was good, and you had to use some imagination). This game, this journey, takes you, and makes you feel like you are the character. Alan Wake consumes you, and brings you right into Bright Falls.

Now you might be asking yourself, "What makes this game so great?" Well, besides the obvious way that it makes your tilt you head as if you are looking around the bend of a building, and expecting something to jump out at you, or if you are walking through the forest ........... S L O W L Y only because there is no light to protect you, you are down on your ammo, you're thinking to yourself "OMG I hope nothing comes out cause I don't have enough ammo!!", and then"They" come out!!! This game has it all, great control scheme, good camera angle, great story line, and most importantly its "Memorable Moments."

If you haven't bought the game, acquired the game, borrowed the game (I would never lend mine out to anyone cause I hate when people scratch my $#@& up), rented the game, then you need to go and get it, then come back and read this, because we need to talk about this game!!!! So here it is, the moments that make this one of the most under-rated games period. "Under-rated?!?!?!?" I know that this game received an 8.5, or B+, or whatever you have read, and those aren't bad grades to bring home to Mom and Dad, but this deserves nothing less than a 9.5, and here's why.

Memorable Moments

Without giving the story away, lets just talk about how no character in the story line is safe. Just when you are getting to know them, or you think that you are going to like them, POOF!!!!! They're gone!!! In some ways it's gut wrenching, because you find these manuscript pages, and see their demise before it actually happens to them. It may not sink in at first, because you haven't been introduced to the character yet, so the page that you read 20 minutes ago may not register until its to late. After the the first instance you become more aware, and start to pay attention.

While the game play, and story are good, this is isn't where most of those memorable moments of the game are. Instead my friends, they are with you, "The Player". The moments lay with every time you almost dropped that controller cause you freaked out a little when on of the "Taken" pops out around a random corner, and is taking a swing at you with a pick axe. Or its when you hear "Taking Omega 3 is good for your heart", and there is a "Taken" coming at you with a chainsaw, and at that moment you are hit from behind by another "Taken" with a big hunting knife trying to take out your heart without anaesthetic.

Another awesome and memorable moment is when you get your first flare gun, and you take out 3 "Taken" at one time, or the first time you throw that "flash bang grenade", and everything on the screen disappeared, and you're like "WHOA, I need some more of these!!!!!" Another awesome memorable moment is when you realize that you can reload your battery, and gun while throwing a flare at the "Taken" all at the same time, and notice that you aren't panicking all that much anymore. Another memorable moment is as you are running through the game, randomly you are almost smashed by a free falling tugboat, train car, or car. It's when you know that you are pissing the "Darkness" off, and you are thinking "Hell ya bring it on!!!!!"

A personal moment for me was when my wife was playing the game, and I was teaching her how to use the flashlight on those possessed flying barrels. After she had grasped the controls, and ran into her first "Taken", I told her "Babe you need to go into that shed, there could be some ammo in there!". But by the time I had said that, and looked back at her, she was already freaked out, and she said, err shouted,"I DON'T WANNA GO IN THERE!!!". I pleaded with her to go in, but she could barely hold the controller cause she was freaked out by the darkness in the game. It was just one of those things you would have had to been there to truly understand how awesome, and funny that was all at the same time.

In conclusion the experience of this game is a memorable moment, and how you chose to play it makes those moments more self satisfying. The story is told so well that it absorbs you completely, and messes with your psyche a bit. It leaves you asking, "Is Alan Wake crazy? Is he a killer lost in some sort of psychotic break down? Or is there something more to this place than meets the eye?" However your thinking process perceives this story, this game to be, just remember that this journey promises to be more than just a memorable moment, it is a memorable experience.

This just shows how prominent gaming is in our social environment. For the most part the baby-boomer generations is, and are the ones who hold most of the government in their hands. Unfortunately most of them are not gamers of today, or of the past. They have no real concept of what gaming does to children, because they themselves have no real concept of gaming in their own lives. It wasn't something they grew up with.

It's interesting to see that they based their case studies off of children, teens, and adults that seemed to have some sort of trauma in their lives, whether being neglect, abuse, etc....... When was the last time that there was a major census of game players through out the US? When was the last time a survey was done to see how many kids in school that game are A+ students, all-star athletes, or just all around good kids with a good head on their shoulders? I mean if gaming screws people up then don't you think that things would be a lot worse that they already are? Don't you think people in these positions right now that are bringing this to court are doing a good enough job screwing things up as it is for us? Being a Father myself I understand the concerns of good parenting. I grew up with great parents that each worked two different jobs, and still had time for myself and my brothers. But, my parents never had a problem with us blowing up stuff in video games in order to save the world, the human race, or this great country of ours.

To all those that are out there Gamers, and Non-gamers alike, gaming is art, and not just any kind off art, it's thoughts and dreams brought to reality, and put into motion. There is no greater thrill (Except the birth of a baby, graduating, first date, etc....,etc....) than taking what could be a great movie script, and playing as the main character to make the character do what you want it to. Gaming is part of today's culture, as it will be for future generations to come. If a game is too violent to play for someone underage, then that is what ESRB rating is for. Parents today need to take a more vigilant attitude when it comes to their children. Children are the representation of the parents grooming and parenting. Yeah, no one is perfect, and sometimes, and in some cases not all parents can save their children from the craziness of this world, but the blame in this case should not be based on video games. It's not another sticker, or ban on gaming that will protect the children, it responsibility of the parents.