Gamer Mommy & Geek Boy

Pokemon Platinum Launch Party This Weekend

Celebrate Pokemon's 10th with the launch party for the Nintendo DS Pokemon Platinum game from 11-4 pm Saturday, March 21, at the Nintendo Store in Rockefeller Center. The much anticipated gamensold a million units in just three days in Japan. There will be Pokemon costume characters - and giveaways - and there will be a sneak preview of the new Pokemon movie, Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior. Highlights of the day will be an interactive Pokemon playground with minigame-play with other players around the world. Those brave enough to come in a Pokemon costume will have a chance to dive into Pokemon Platinum Plunge - a 10-foot vat of colorful balls - for a chance to win a special Giratina DS Lite. Only 60 of them will be released in the entire United States. Gotta catch 'em all.

User-generated game making featured at Engaged! Expo

Mockingbird Games will demonstrate its new platform for user-generated game-making at the NY Engaged Expo next week at Javits Center.

The game-making technology behind Mattel's UB Funkey Game Factory will be demonstrated at the Expo, March 10-11. The Mockingbird platform allows users in online communities to create, change and share games.

The game developer licenses its game-making components to websites and virtual worlds, increasing relevancy for their users.

"With other forms of media - pictures, videos, music, blogs - people have shown that they want to make and share their own content, as well as consume the content of their peers," said Mockingbird games cofounder Troy Gilbet in a press statemet. "Mockingbird enables this for the medium of games," he said. "We help existing communities easily add game making as a major activity for their users, becoming a significant source of unique and engaging user-generated content."