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Editor's note: Someone's made-up game isn't normally something I would think to promote, but Brian's idea is a little larger than that. He thinks that people could use video games as tools to educate themselves about experiences that fall outside of the purview of their own daily lives. -James

People mostly view video games as a form of entertainment, but many individuals also recognize their value as a learning tool. Since the advent of personal computers, games developers and teachers have realized that students can learn basic concepts through video games. Developers of non-educational software have recognized this as well, but they tend to teach through more subtle means.

In addition to testing reflexes, popular and niche games alike often include puzzles, the ability to make decisions, and themes relevant to the modern world. Games such as Tales of Symphonia and Dragon Age: Origins have both touched on racism's effect on personal development and relations with other people, while games such as Xenogears and Final Fantasy Tactics reveal complex political struggles, the abuse of power by religious institutions, and the imperialism of many religions. Even more recent releases such as Lost Odyssey and Final Fantasy 13 have themes that players anywhere in the world can relate to.

 Many other games are worth mentioning, too, such as the deluge of open-world titles in recent years, psychological thrillers like Silent Hill, and dating sims in the vein of Persona 3, but I would like to expand on current teaching methods in games. I want to place us in the bodies of individuals we don't understand for the purpose of reducing our ignorance of the world around us.

While pondering experiences gamers might find interesting, I realized that fun would also need to be an integral component. If the gameplay came across as stale or generic, gamers would stick with familiar fare, so I attempted to craft experiences that would be both meaningful and entertaining.

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Today's video blips after the jump might be inappropriate for minors, so to kick things off, we'll start with the family-friendly Rocket Knight. 

Video Blips:

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No one's really sure exactly how the world will end, but I bet few of you would predict pixels as the main cause. Well, won't you be surprised:

I hope Earth has an extra life lying around somewhere....

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Editor's note: Generally speaking, white men make video games. Why is this? Rachel wants to know, and she has a few theories based on personal experience -- her teachers dissuaded her from pursuing studies in computer science at a young age. I agree with her that we'd all benefit from increased diversity in the industry, and her interviewees offer insight about how to accomplish that goal. -Rob

I received a sharp wake-up call this month from Develop, a trade magazine who reported the cancellation of the annual Women in Games conference in Bradford, U.K. Why was the gathering called off? Too few delegates signed up to participate. This year would have been its seventh, and now it's dead.

Oops.

Emblazoned on the conference organizer's website were the words: "The Times recently published a poll naming the '10 Brits who changed video games forever.' All ten were men. Join WFTV for a panel discussion about why the gaming industry has been dominated by men, and what opportunities are available for women."

Does this mean that encouraging more women to work in game development is a lost cause? Is it a signal that the industry doesn't really care if there's a disproportionate number of women to men in the industry? Do we even need to encourage women if this is true? Aren't new games coming along just fine with the few women involved now?

Whatever you think, the numbers suggest that if we do want a female touch on the games we consume, we need to do something about it.

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We announced a while back that we're partnering up with gaming mags EGM and GamePro in different capacities, and since then...well, we haven't been doing a very good job of updating you guys, have we? Especially on the GamePro front, since two community members have already appeared in print there.

But before we discuss that, I know you guys need an update with regards to our EGM announcement, because when I was at WonderCon this past weekend, here's how most conversations went with fans that I ran into:

"Hi, are you 'Shoe'?"

"Yes, hi. It's nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you, too. I'm a big fan of Bitmob's. When is EGM coming out?"

So here are some quick updates for you:

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The Bitmob Featured Community Writer is a new series where we focus on you, the Bitmob community member. We'll dust off your old articles and give you your just reward: more eyeballs on your writing. We'll be featuring some of your favourites, some you may have overlooked, and maybe even you!

Our first featured writer is Patrick Bonk. He's been an active contributor since the site's first week and has been posting ever since. A loving husband and father, Patrick is based in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. If you've never been there, it's very hot in the summer, very cold in the winter, and very, very flat all year round. Sounds like North America's best excuse to stay inside and play video games. Over the past year, Patrick's consistent contributions shows us that this is indeed the case.

What really strikes me is Patrick's efforts to connect with the Bitmob community. Nearly all of his posts end with a "What do you think?" prompt. If you want to connect with Patrick, look for SUPERGHOST...well, just about anywhere, and you'll find him.

 Let's take a look at some of his best articles.

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Editor's note: Mark's list of controllers that should have never been made boggles the mind. Have any of you actually used one of these monstrosities? -Brett

Since the advent of the NES gamepad, console controller design has stayed pretty static. Sure, buttons have proliferated, analog sticks have been added, and even a bit of waggle incorporated here and there, but the tried-and-true gamepad remains the de-facto means for making Mario jump, Nathan Drake shoot, or Sonic speed from point A to point B.

That doesn't mean the humble controller hasn't gone through crazy reimaginings or diabolical experiments in the quest to fashion the perfect device. While some of these iterations have been successful, there are a few rejects that either should not have been created or are useful for only one game.

The following controllers certainly fall into those latter categories.

Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Controller

Released with both the PlayStation 2 and GameCube versions of Resident Evil 4, this controller’s design is both aesthetically badass and unappealing at the same time.

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I always have a bunch of game-related thoughts running through my head. Sometimes one of those thoughts is enough for an entire article, and sometimes it’s not. I feel like I’ve had a lot of little things on my mind lately, so I sat down and typed them out stream-of-consciousness-style.

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Editor's note: In this piece, Dana forecasts a game-coverage landscape where savvy journalists specialize and stubborn traditionalists die. -James

The video game expert is dead. He died of gluttony. And from his ashes will rise new breeds of journalists: the specialist, the elite critic, and the business pundit.

EXHIBIT A: A local grocery store newsstand, 2010

Covering every video game is no longer possible. The old guard of gaming press is gone. Long-standing gaming magazines like GamePro (under the direction of John Davison) and EGM (which Steve Harris will soon relaunch) are finding their new identities in what they decline to cover. Journalists simply have too much to report on. Focus will be the new identity factor for every gaming news outlet -- online or print.

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Wilhelm, the self-declared Warcraft Hero, has been delighting the hearts of children and adults for over four months. Move over, Mickey. There's a new cartoon icon in town.

In all honesty, drawing this comic has been a lot of fun for me, and I wanted to do a contest as a little "thank you" to all the readers. It's simple; draw Wilhelm (pictured to the right), and get a chance to win. Here are the more detailed rules:

• Draw a picture of the Warcraft Hero. Any picture. Pictures will not be judged on quality. Now, if you want to draw a nice picture, I certainly won't hold that against you.
• E-mail the picture to me at mike.minotti@bitmob.com.
• Only residents of the continental U.S. will be eligible for prizes due to shipping costs (we're poor). Feel free to send a pic no matter where you're from, and I'll be sure to show it off when I post all of the submissions.
• Sending me a pic will give you one entry into the contest (only one entry per person). I will then pick entries at random to find the winners.
• Deadline is April 21st.

See the prizes after the jump.

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Old game commercials were notorious for misrepresenting the games and consoles they represented. This ad for Little Nemo is no different, but it adds a few creepy undertones not present in the actual experience. Do you want these guys driving around and peering into your dreams?

As always, I've added gameplay footage after the cut. I truly want to track down a copy of this game, but it is one of the few inexpensive Nintendo titles you just don't see every day. 

Thanks to James DeRosa for the tip.

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What a charming spring day. Why not sit at an outside café while you read today’s Community Spotlight? I’m writing it from one.

Spanish Matters: How Univision and Gamespot Are Adapting to the Growing Hispanic Market in the U.S.
By Juan Letona
Spanish language television giant Univision’s latest attempt to connect with the Hispanic gaming population has them teaming up with Gamespot. Will Gamespot’s reporting just be translated into Spanish, or will a separate team of editors compile stories to appeal to Hispanic interests? Juan offers his own ideas on how this partnership will work, but he'd like to hear the Bitmob community's ideas, too.

The Pile of Shame: One Gamer’s Reflection
By Michael Wenzel
Sometimes finances just don’t stretch far enough to consume every game out there. This generates the seemingly unending pile of shame that I think just about every gamer has. Michael’s dedication to making a career out of writing about games has kept him current, but his new pile of shame is littered with half-finished titles he’d love to revisit.

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