The next generation of gaming

Our church had a Superbowl Big Game party today. It was a fun way to get everyone together and watch a football game on the big projector screen with really big speakers. I'm always up for party food, but believe it or not, I'm not that big a football fan. Sometimes I feel that my wife is a fan vicariously through me more than anything else.

They thought of a lot of activities for the kids to do who came with their families. I say "they" because I actually have no idea who thought up all the activities. One of the things that Pastor Ben did to entertain was bring his Wii and a big screen. And of course at the Alley he chose bowling to start off the evening. As soon as I got there, I took over organizing the bowling schedule for the half-dozen to dozen kids aged three to ten who were there. Why?

• I can be a pretty anal-retentive person and I can't stand it when I see what I perceive to be disorder.
• There were four controllers, but only two kids were bowling.
• I grew up with two brothers and a sister. I understand and remember very well the ins and outs of sharing and rotating through games.
• I didn't feel comfortable discussing the game since I didn't feel I had anything to contribute to a conversation that went there. I felt useful helping out in some way.

My whole night was made worth it by one kid, Owen. Owen was probably three years old. He stared at the kids throwing bowling balls for about five minutes before he started asking me if he could play. Of course, he asked about every 27 seconds. I told him he could absolutely have a go on the next game. At the end of the tenth frame, he was ecstatic to get a Wii controller.

When he didn't tell me was that he had never held a Wii-mote before in his life. I don't think he had even actually played a video game before. But there he was, swinging his little arm at the over-sized projection screen, trying to get the ball to go down the lane. After about six swings, you could see he was starting to get frustrated. No, I take that back, he was fine, but some of the other kids were getting a little frustrated that he was taking so long.

So I did the only thing I could think to do: I got down on my knees and strapped the controller into his hand. "Okay, Owen, put your thumb on this button... just like this... and put your pointer finger on this button. Now, you're going to squeeze the trigger, then swing and release." In the new position, he swung the controller at the screen... and the ball released and slowly started inching down the length of the lane. Moments later seven pins fell.

"Great job, Owen!" He smiled and got excited when he realized he got to go again. He went right back to swinging wildly, but a little coaching to "swing and release" and he eventually got it again. Every time he went up to bowl it took him a little less effort to let the ball fly down the alley at higher and higher speeds.

Right before I was relieved from Wii duty, Owen knocked down six pins and picked up three more on his second ball. I wonder if this is how teachers feel when a kid spells a word right for the first time. Or the first time he doesn't have to ask someone else to tie his shoe. Or after staring at x's and y's on an algebra worksheet finally gets it. I almost felt like I passed something on to another generation of gamers.

Thanks, Owen, for making my day.