Angry Birds Help Boost Interaction

By Mohammed Arsyad Md Yassin KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 (Bernama) -- The hectic pace of life today has reduced the opportunity and time for people to interact. Moreover, with rapidly evolving ICT technology, face-to-face communication has been drastically reduced, and people communicate through numerous devices and methods instead -- mobile phones, Iphones, emails, text messages etc. At home, even parents are known to have limited interaction with their children due to preoccupation with work or other activities. Thus something needs to be done to enhance interaction, especially between children and their elders. The solution probably lies in the digital medium as well. A case in point is one of the world's popular digital games, Angry Birds. Studies have shown the game serves as a medium of interaction between youngsters and elders, and therefore promotes inter-generational communication. Developed by Rovio, a digital gaming company from Finland, the all-time favourite game has spread its wings into the local market and conquered the hearts of local gamers here as well. About 120 million people play the game every month all over the world. PLAYING ANGRY BIRDS TOGETHER A part time worker in Tanjong Golden Village (TGV) Cinemas in Wangsa Walk (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) Nurul Ain, 18, said she was introduced to the Angry Birds game by her nephew and niece early this year and plays the game on her handphone. "I meet up with friends and share strategies with them to collect the highest score, which inadvertently strengthen our friendship," she said. Angry Birds game is specifically made for all touch screens devices, whereby players will adjust the tension and trajectory of a slingshot-like mechanism and launch the birds to inflict damage on the enemies. Numerous studies have shown the benefits of such interaction, with some studies showing increased physical, cognitive, and social activity that could help improve health of the elders and educational learning for children. SPENDING QUALITY TIME Roznah, 37, said she spends quality time with her son and daughters by playing the game. "It's an interesting game that I play with them, as it puts to test the player's intelligence in devising strategies to destroy the enemy. "We actually devise together an escape plan from dad (father) to end the game," she said. Currently, there are three versions of the game. The first is the Angry Birds; the second is Angry Birds Rio, which uses characters from the animated movie "Rio," produced by Blue Sky Studios; and the third, Angry Birds Seasons, takes players through the world’s numerous celebrations. Studies also indicate that playing the Angry Birds game provides a positive and enjoyable experience for elders and helps to improve their self-esteem. ANGRY BIRDS TOYS Angry bird toys too are making waves. Wan Nadiah Fazira Wan Marzuki, 16, said because the Angry Birds have drawn children's attention, parents were buying the range of Angry Bird toys for them. "Children will come and ask their parents to buy the Angry Birds toy," said this part-time sales promoter for mobile accessories. She said there were also adults who bought the toys for themselves for their personal collections. While the angry bird is just a digital game, it helps develop strong rapport among players, who often come from the same family. Meanwhile, fans of the game are eagerly waiting the upcoming evolution of the Angry Birds, transformed into a full-length animated film. -- BERNAMA