Put on a great party
Birthday Party Bash from 2K Play is an innovative game exclusively for the Nintendo Wii that will transform any living room into “Party Central.” Available July 14, Birthday Party Bash provides a complete “Party-in-a-Box,” including themed games, invitations and a how-to guide to throw the coolest birthday party.
Up to 12 party goers can join in the festivities as they whack, roll, splash, pop, scribble, climb, jump and shimmy their way through more than 20 birthday games, including Pinata Blast, Present Frenzy and Birthday Blowout. The birthday boy or girl can also choose from ten party theme rooms to set the scene for an unforgettable bash, from “Pirates,” complete with sword and treasure chest, to “Princess,” with a royal castle, a fancy crown and unicorn. When it’s time to break for cake, a lively rendition of the traditional “Happy Birthday” song will play for everyone to sing along in karaoke-style, with a virtual cake on screen.
If parents are in doubt about decorating or party treats they can refer to the Birthday Party Bash guide for tips. There are also 12 packed-in, ready-to-deliver party invitations and customized Birthday Party Bash on-line invitations for the digital-minded host.
What to wear?
Fashion Fantasy Game (www.fashionfantasygame.com) is a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) and social network for young ladies passionate about fashion and fun. FFG combines virtual fashion design and retailing, giving girls a taste of what it would be like to have their own businesses. Developed by fashion industry veteran Nancy Ganz, the site allows teens to showcase their creativity and their smarts.
In the game, players assume the roles of designer or store owner. Each player begins the game with a bank account of Fashion Buckz game currency to get them started. As designers, they create fashions, produce them and market them to virtual retailers. Players who become shop owners purchase fashions from the designers, rent retail locations in their choice of four major cities and then must attract shoppers to their collections. Throughout the game, players must carefully watch their expenses and revenues and budget wisely – valuable skills for everyone. Fashion Fantasy Game features multiple levels of play and weekly themed design competitions.
Get with the band
Plastic used to be the dominant material in game controllers. Then, leather and chrome began appearing in racing wheel controllers and now Logitech has taken it to the next level with its Wireless Guitar Controller for Sony PlayStation3 and PlayStation2 computer entertainment systems. Featuring authentic materials – including a wood neck and body, a rosewood fingerboard and metal frets — the guitar controller is available in a black finish complemented with a glossy black pick guard.
The Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller offers a one-piece contoured wood body preferred by many of the world’s leading rock guitarists. For reduced button noise, Logitech uses rubber dome technology on the fret board controls, the same material used in its award-winning keyboards. The guitar controller also incorporates a touch-sensitive slider, located on the neck of the guitar controller so players can rack up the points.
For use with the Guitar Hero franchise, the Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller lets players jam at a range of up to 30 feet from the console and offers hundreds of hours of battery life. It becomes available in the US later this month retailing for $199.99 and will be available in Europe in June.
And if you’re planning to sign up with a virtual rock band, consider the performance of Robert Paz. On May 16, the first day of the World Cyber Games (WCG) US Invitational, Paz broke a marathon Guinness World Record (GWR) in Rock Band 2. Officials from GWR monitored as Rob completed 84 consecutive songs on expert mode using his ion drums. That dude definitely has got the beat!
Teaching children about money
In today’s economic environment teaching kids about money, financial management and financial literacy has never been more important. Many students don’t learn about money management in school, so it’s up to parents to provide education on this topic.
There’s an excellent free resource online at www.nfikidscount.org/content.aspx?Key=7. This activity workbook, “Kids Count” offers financial management and financial literacy activities that relate to the age and experiences of third through fifth-grade students. It’s a 10MB download, so be patient.
