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Adult Gamers and Their Ulterior Motives for Gaming
twistedcaboose writes "The Philly Inquirer is running a nice little article about why parents game with their children. Seems that adult gamers are still on the rise." From the article: "In a national survey released in January, 35 percent of 501 parents living with children age 2 to 17 said they played computer or video games, according to the Entertainment Software Association. Of those, 80 percent also played with their children. On average, these fathers and mothers - yes, almost half were women - spent 9.1 hours a month gaming with the children."
duh! its easier to defeat a kid..
I'd be a little more impressed with that TV, missy. That's your college education you're looking at.
and think of a different meaning for the word "adult"?
Pr0n with my parents would just be a bit odd...
Monstar L
People who enjoyed games as kids play as adults with their kids. Shock, dismay.
People who enjoyed playing football as kids, watch football as adults and live vicariously through their kids playing football.
The only people who wouldn't expect this are people who didn't play games as kids. They also happen to be the social types with lots of misconceptions about what 'normal' is.
There's nothing to see here, move along.
That brief 24 hour window when I can crush my nephew in a new game before he can devote all his free time to memorizing all the combo-moves and strategy guides. It doesn't matter if I never win a game again after that, the memory of that defeat is seared into his soul. Muahahahahahahah
Heck, back when I owned an N64 my dad used to get in rounds of Goldeneye and Mario Kart with me and my brother after school. And he had never really touched a game system before, except for brief spurts on the systems that we owned before that (NES and SNES).
This might even be seen by some as an improvement over the television habit that many parents have and pass on to their kids.
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I don't get why all this about grown ups playing games. It is all the natural.
As Huizinga points in his book (Homo Ludens), since 1939 and before, play is part of culture. And play is inevery aspect of our lives.
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My son, 12, and I often play PS2, or multiplayer PC games together. Crash Team Racing, or Gauntlet on the PS2, and assorted games like Age of Sail II, etc, on the PC. We have fun, and that's what counts.
And the TV companies know this, hence they love to dredge up anti-game news whenever they can.
When I was a kid, I didn't have a computer or console until I was 11, and that was a second hand 8-bit CPC464. My mum played Stockmarket with me but that's about it.
And it is good to have your parents play games with you, it makes it more social, it stops them watching TV (oooh, Timeteam is on, must speed this post up) and probably sharpens their mind a little, counteracting the gradual decline due to everyday life they otherwise suffer.
It's good for bonding too, too few parents do this. And the parents can see what the games are like and if they're suitable.
I'm sure it will lead to more rounded teenagers and adults, better able to cope with problem solving and jumping from ledge to ledge, as you do.
You can bond with your children by sharing the gaming experience. Even when they are too small to operate the keyboard and mouse, they can always wear the headset while playing CS or Battlefield 2. "Tell DethBr1n90r he is a fucking faggot, honey!"
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I enjoy pwning my newb children on a regular basis. Best that they learn from me rather than out on the streets.
He loves them both and so do I.
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Meh.
What is this "ulterior motive" crap? That summary screams "Conspiracy!!"
I've been a gamer since the Commodore 64 days. Why do I play them? Because they're fun, perhaps? So many of these articles act like it's shocking that those who grew up gaming are (shocking!) still gaming and (more shocking!) getting their kids involved with gaming.
Why would I play games with my daughter? Because it's something that we can do together without the rigamarole of Want to play this? No. Want to play that? No. We know what games we like to play as a family, and it's at least better time than just sitting around watching TV.
Having been a gamer for 20+ years and having a wife who's really not into gaming, this is a great way for me to finally have a gaming partner. Sure, I'm not about to let my 6-year-old play Battlefield 2 (not that she could anyway), but even something as simple as Mario Kart 64 is still fun!
But for me there's an even more important aspect. Those who don't have kids - and even some parents, unfortunately - might have difficulty understanding that kids want their parents' attention. Yes, I want my BF2 time, but if given the choice between BF2 or some N64 game with my kids, the N64 will win every time. I get to have fun; my kids get to have fun; and I get to show my kids that I'm willing to spend my time doing things with them. That means a hell of a lot more to me (and my kids, I'm sure) than getting a Veteran Support Badge while my kids sit watching TV.
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I bet my daughter would kick your ass at Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo. She beats me every time. But I can still beat her at Rapunzel.
-1 Uncomfortable Truth
When are we going to have a presidential candidate who will make this promise: "A gamepad in every hand and a T1 line in every home!"
Only until the inevitable "Monopoly Moment" (aka, the Great Scattering) where controllers go flying, the console breaks against the wall, and the unstoppable primal scream of Hulk Smash!! Then who Pwnz who, eh?!? Or so I've heard.
"Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart, he dreams himself your master."
Wouldnt this world be boreing if you had to give up things you engoy just because of age? I am 42 and will never give up gaming. Why? Because I can aford it and I enjoy it. The same reason I have a computer and a ton of other toy's. Being interactive is a lot better than sitting in front of the TV like a lot of people my age.
I trust Microsoft as far as I could comfortably spit a dead rat
With a sample so small, this is speculation masquerading as data.
The only ulterior motive mentioned was to know the content of the games which is certainly a good thing. I like to know what my son is getting bombarded by daily so that I can combat anything I think is negative.
I just enjoy the games and the time spent with my son. I also like to game with him because it lets me see how he reacts to competition in a friendly environment. I get to give him advice on how to handle winning and losing.
is playing video games instead of the usual 'Family fun' with the wife and kids. i.e. "Sure Honey, lets spend the evening together as a family... Power Leveling in WoW!". Plus it's a great way to talk the missus into letting you drop 8 grand on high end computers for the entire house or 4 grand on a home theatre + game console.
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The same reason why my dad got me a train set: He wants to play with it and doesn't want to admit it.
So they can say "Hey, it's not like I wanna play. It's the kid, and I gotta play with them because, as a responsible parent, I should know what they're doing... Damn, I'm outta rockets."
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
I'm...not young. I remember when Pong was brand new and way cool. First game console: Coleco. The wife isn't young either. We have...several kids. The oldest is eight. She loves to play Halo 2 on Live with Ma or Pa or both. It is yet another way for her to interact with us, and on a more engaging, exciting level. It's constant action, so it's more interesting for them than, say, throwing the ball in the yard or riding a bike. It's also lots of fun for us to play with her because it's a relatively level playing field. It's something we can all do, and nobody sucks any worse at than anybody else does.
Of course, we also found that we were suffering from "video game tummy", until we stumbled upon DDR (Dance Dance Revolution). All of a sudden there was another game, one that involved some exercise, that also keeps all of us interested, but also draws in the other kids. They all want to play. It's one of the few activities (short of watching "Finding Nemo"...again...) that everyone gets into. Everyone wants in, and everyone has a blast doing it. The game is easy enough yet challenging enough so nobody gets bored or feels like they can't do well.
I love gaming with my kids. My kids love gaming with me. It's a hell of a lot cheaper than taking them to a game, too!
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Back in the day, my dad would give me a bunch of magazines and a Vic-20 with a cassette tape drive.
"Here you go son, I got some new games for you."
"But there's only a memory cartridge in the machine!"
"No, the games are in here," he'd say, patting the stack of magazines. "Let me know when you have something typed, in so we can play together."
[pink beam of light]
I never thought of having kids for multiplayer purposes... could be quite useful when your buddies are busy.
My kid has a gamecube and a ton of games in his room, but when his little friends come over all they do is beg me to play MAME games on my projector. I have had up to five kids taking turns playing Marvel vs Capcom and the Metal Slug series to name a few. The best part is the adults in the room also get their turns and have just as much fun as the kids with the button mashing. People are cheering and throwing controllers, much better than just sitting their watching a movie.
As for my kid, he has known me as an addicted Medal of Honor player since he was born. He became fascinated at three by watching me play that and Battlefield. He loved Battlefield but would get auto-kicked off too much for either killing himself to much by driving his jeep to fast or he would just wonder around exploring. Medal of Honor Freeze-tag objective became his game. I explained the rules to him. You get a point for unfreezing and a point for freezing someone, besides that, plant the bomb. He wasn't very good at three but did figure out how to open doors and would shoot someone once in awhile.
Now at 5, even though he still can't read, on a ~30 person server with ~15/team he is placing in the top 4 or 5 for his team. He gets most of his points by simply unfreezing his teammates, but he also pulls in a good score from freezing. I think his biggest advantage is he is completely unpredictable. What amazes me is that people on the server are always trying to talk to him. He plays so good they don't even realize he is just a little kid whose little fingers have to really stretch across the keyboard to even play. What boggles me is, who are these people that have lower scores than him? I wonder how many other children are out their dominating us adults in games and we don't even realize it.
Of course, we also found that we were suffering from "video game tummy", until we stumbled upon DDR (Dance Dance Revolution). All of a sudden there was another game, one that involved some exercise, that also keeps all of us interested, but also draws in the other kids. They all want to play. It's one of the few activities (short of watching "Finding Nemo"...again...) that everyone gets into.
Meanwhile, every time a new DDR title is released, thousands of downstairs-apartment-owning tenants cry out in agony...
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I remember playing the Original Mario Bros on Atari. with my dad when I was a young boy. Players are supposed to play it cooperatively, but I started to notice he'd die a lot more often that I did. I then suggested we play competitively: trying to jump on each other and flip the turtles such that they kill the other person. Then I started to notice that I was a lot better, in general, than my dad. Normally, a child will go a pretty long time in his life before he is better than his father at anything, but video games gave me the opportunity to discover rather early on that my father is a normal person who can't do everything well. It was actually a pretty sad realization for a 7 year-old.
I play video games with my son all the time. I think it really helps me to stay involved in his life because of the conversations we have. We tend to talk a lot during play, not just smack, and I can usually keep in touch with what is going on in school, with his friends, trends amongst the teens, etc...
The only problem that I have is that, IMHO, most 20somethings and younger are button mashers and not actually skilled gamers. They like to think that they're good at games but, again IMHO, not really. They totally lack creativity, strategy and tactics.
For example, we usually play the football titles. When a new version comes out he'll spend a day or two experimenting with the offense until he finds a handfull of pass plays that he can use every time regardless of what defense is called. He'll practice only those plays until he gets the timing down just right so that no matter what you do his receiver will catch the ball 99% of the time. For the most part, he will totally disregard the running game because, at least I think, he can't time a pattern like you can with pass plays.
Whether that's a problem with the game or not can be debated. However, it just gets boring when it's the same thing over and over. Rather than try having fun with different alignments, different receivers, running the ball, or whatever, his one and only concern is winning even though, I believe, he sacrifices his pride with timing rather than actually becoming good as something.