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| Day 7 of #sol17 |
My husband was first in line to get the Classic NES system that was released a few months back, and the kids were introduced to "old school" Mario. So, when my mother-in-law asked what they wanted for Christmas, we said it was ok for them to get Wii U. Why? Mario, of course!
I remember working all summer doing chores to earn that orignal system in 1985 or so. I think I was around my son's age at the time, and we did everything we could think of to earn a dollar or two. Pull weeds, clean parts of the house, do dishes, etc. It took us all summer, but we earned it. After that, my sister and I would sit in the basement and play those levels, learning how to fail and try again. It was growth mindset in it's early form for me. I think there were some late nights in there, listening to Thriller and Madonna records, passing levels with my sister.
I am watching my kids play now, taking turns and yelling at each other all the same. They are learning how to negotiate with each other, and to strategize to get what they want. Every once in a while, we have to turn the game off because they can't agree. But, for the most part, they are like Mario and Luigi. Quite the team. They don't have the late nights playing, though. Those are reserved for my husband. :)
I guess history does repeat itself, right down to the video games we play.
And reminds us of the potential power of video games as narratives of our lives. Some will scoff at that but for many (and for many more in the decades to come) the immersive act of playing video games becomes a defining experience for many, one that shapes the way we think about story and interactivity and, well, branding.
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