Kim Atienza embraces technology

“If you’re not a techie at this point in time, then you’re at a total disadvantage. You might as well embrace it.”

This was according to TV host Kim Atienza who considers playing video games a way to bond with his children. “Whether I like it or not, my kids will play games. It’s the wave of the future. I can’t stop them from being on their iPads, so I might as well be there with them as they go through this phase in their lives. To stop them from embracing technology is futile. It’s like you telling me to stop reading books. Gadgets are part of their lives.”

Atienza is married to Felicia Hung. They have three children—Jose III, Eliana and Emmanuelle.

While Atienza approves of the use of gadgets at home, he has set rules for his children to follow. “A gadget is neutral—you can use it for good, or for bad. It’s the job of the parents to guide their kids on how to use these devices. Gadgets are not allowed on the table as we eat,” he pointed out.

Atienza added: “All my kids have gadgets. In a restaurant, while waiting for the food to arrive, they get bored so they are allowed to use their iPads or smartphones. But when the food is finally on the table, they are to put down their gadgets and we all eat and converse.”

No access

Atienza also prohibited access to the Internet in his children’s bedrooms. “This is because they are still very young. My eldest is only 12. Until he’s old enough to understand what he sees on the Web, he can only have Wi-Fi connection in the family room. When the kids are in their rooms, there’s no signal. It’s that simple.”

Atienza, along with celebrities Anne Curtis, Isabelle Daza and Erwan Heussaff, recently launched Xeleb, the country’s first celebrity mobile game company. A subsidiary of Xurpas Inc., Xeleb was formed to “create, define and lead celebrity game space in the country.” It recently launched “AnneGaling,” a Match-3 game that Curtis helped design.

ATIENZA helped develop a mobile game.

Atienza’s game is set for release within the year. “It’s similar to the game Temple Run. You will see that the games the four of us helped create suit our personalities. Anne is into kikay stuff; Belle is into fashion; Erwan, cooking. Running is my passion,” he explained. “You will see me run and jump to avoid obstacles. As I jump through them, I gain points. Along the way, I encounter animals and give trivia about them. You will not only enjoy the game, you will also learn from it.”

Involved

Atienza said he has been involved in the creation of the game since it was first conceptualized. “I gave my input on its general look, as well as the trivia on animals. You will hear me say my usual expressions

—when my character falls or gets bumped while running it will say ‘Aray!’ We really worked hard on this. We tested it many times.”

Atienza said he is “relatively more techie” than other people his age. “Those in their late 40s are less tech-savvy than the younger ones,” he observed. “I grew up playing games like the Super Mario Bros. (a series of platform games created by Nintendo in 1985), as well as Pac-Man, Pong and Donkey Kong.”

He related: “I saw the development of games. I remember that they used to be big—as big as a jukebox. Now, they’re so small that you can download a thousand of them to your mobile phones. I’m thrilled by the development, and to be a part of it. I understand that games also have benefits, especially if they have a take-away like trivia.”

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