Blog #4

      I will begin by admitting that I am not much of a video game person, and never have been. If anything, my childhood was much like the childhood Jenkins described for himself. I too had a brother whom was 2 years my elder, and we grew up living in town. On most days, we were out of the house at dawn, and didn't return until dark. We had many of the items Jenkins described at our disposal; the empty grass lot for football, local school playgrounds for basketball, and a wooded area for starting small fires. We often found ourselves in trouble when returning home for not beating the street lights (we were to be home before they were on), and once or twice for being escorted home by a local police officer.

      Though I may not play video games and refuse to ask anyone if they would like to be my friend, luckily I have a thirteen year old daughter that enjoys both. Her favorite video game that I watch her tinker with often is "The Sims" by Electronic Arts. I feel this game is aimed at girls, and is a perfect fit for Jenkins title: "The Play Town: Another Space for Girls". This game basically calls for the player to create a town, a home, and a family. This game is exactly what Jenkins is referring to by virtual gender spaces. The new Sims 3 states: Create any Sim you can imagine, control their lives within a living neighborhood, and choose to bless or curse them with all-new karma powers. You can view the Sims games and products at; http://thesims.ea.com/.