Happy Puppy

I was looking for examples of online simulations and I came across this web site: http://www.happypuppy.com. Besides having a very cute name, I found it an interesting example of what's out there for kids (and adult) gamers. It's a web site that offers reviews, demos, gaming news, listing of games for all platforms (nintendo 64, playstation, dreamcast, windows, mac, web games, handhelds). This site is for the gamer and not necessarily a resource for teachers or parents.

Also, I was talking to a neighbor who's a little boy of about 10 years old. I was trying to run our game idea by him and he so obviously knew more than me about games. He was most interested in how much control he could have over the environment, in terms of choosing players, choosing paths, types of planets, etc. I also asked him to give me a tour of what game stuff he had. I still don't understand everything he said, but he did show me his collection of gaming magazines (I can't remember the title, but he had them in spanish and in english). He trades them with his friends because they give hints/strategies on how to win different games. The whole experience really showed me how savvy (and demanding) kids can be about games.