To kick it off, my colleague Dr. Frank Gaskill shares his top 12 video game moments of the past 12 years. He and I are both gamers and have played video games since we were kids. I vividly remember playing the original Halo with him on the day it came out. We set up a video projector in a conference room and stayed there most of the afternoon. It was like the heavens had parted.
Frank is the author of Max Gamer, a graphic novel about a kid with Asperger's who uses his special abilities to become a superhero. Dr. G, as he is called by his clients, is one of the most-respected psychologists working with Asperger's kids in the country. He's a Star Wars über-geek and a fellow Walking Dead fan. That's him in the picture with his new buddy Dan Aykroyd, by the way. You can check out his professional bio here. Take a look at his list, presented in countdown order:
Gaming has been a fun and important part of my life. Growing up in suburbia, we had ABC, NBC, and CBS with maybe a fuzzy PBS. We had shared stories about the Love Boat, Fantasy Island, or Battlestar Galactica. Now that we have a million channels to watch, video games have become the common thread of discussion and shared experiences. Some of the best story lines are making their way from the gaming world to the big screen. Here are my 12 most important moments from an awesome decade of gaming.
12. Diablo II – my first foray in RPG 3rd person. Theme music the best until Halo.
11. Toy Commander (Dreamcast) – released in 1999 but did not play until Dreamcast was discontinued in 2001. First game that showed me video games could be used in therapy.
10. XBOX – bought the very last console at Eastland Mall in Charlotte, NC. Bought NASCAR as the first game because I thought Halo looked stupid.
9. Soul Caliber – amazing fighting game that I played with Dave Verhaagen nearly every week. New versions continue to be great and include Yoda and Darth Vader.
8. The Original Halo – no need for further comment on this one.
7. Gaming Apps for iPhone
6. XBOX Modern Warfare II – amazing experience and one of the top 2 XBOX Live experiences.
5. Kinnect for XBOX – played this for the first time New Years 2010. First time a video game felt like the movie Minority Report and immediately imagined how Star Wars games could utilize this technology. Imagine really using the Force!!!
4. XBOX 360 – The Best Gaming Platform Ever! (until the next one).
3. Nintendo Wii – Revolutionized game controls and allowed the whole family to get involved in gaming. Bowling started it all. Still play it every week at work.
2. XBOX LIVE – Replaced poker night for a generation and allows all kinds of people of all ages to Play and connect. If forced to choose I would keep xbox live and give up my microwave…
1. Halo 3 – The best way I stayed connected to friends along the east coast and was a staple social experience for years. Not sure this game can ever be topped.
Who knows what the next 12 years will hold? As for me, I’m hoping for a brain implant! Happy Gaming Everyone!
You can follow Dr. G on Twitter @DrFGaskill
