The Video Game Generation Grows Up

MarchingAnts writes "The Gaming Generation: Once A Gamer, Always A Gamer has interviews with Gabe from Penny Arcade, best-selling science-fiction author John Scalzi, veteran games journalist and founder of gamerdad.com Andrew Bub, futurologist Dr. Michael Zey, and sociologist Dr. Steve Jones commenting on the phenomena of how video gamers are coping with balancing their hobby with marriages, careers, and how video games might affect families in the future. 'Mike Krahulik, better known to his legions of fans as Gabe, one-half of the team behind the gaming webcomic Penny Arcade, says that time is the biggest challenge in blending gaming and parenthood. "You just don't have as much time for gaming," he says, "when you're getting up every 30 minutes to change diapers and get thrown up"'"

Comments

There is the other side of the coin, though.

[Shados]

While you don't have as much time for gaming, it is still more convenient than the more...traditional ways of entertaining one self.

If I have a kid, and want to go see a movie, go to the restaurant, etc, I either need to find a baby friendly place, or find a baby sitter. Both can cost me extra (if you have a kid and go to the restaurant, well you have to feed the darn thing...).

If, instead, i'm playing an online game with my friends, the only thing I need to be worried about, is that I play a game that can be paused (let say Warcraft III), or a game where I can go away for a few minute at any given time (these are harder to find but still). Or even better, I can simply play solo. All around, its a form of entertainment that has tens of thousands of hours worth of amusement, and is within reach of the kids: going back to take care of diapers is only a hit of the pause button away.

Definately more convenient than, let say, going to a bar and coming back home drunk, then having to take care of the kid once the baby sitter is gone.

Re:There is the other side of the coin, though.

[Dadoo]

the only thing I need to be worried about, is that I play a game that can be paused

I've discovered it's much easier to play games where it's possible to play just a few minutes at a time. I can't even start a game like Unreal, or Civilization, or Sim City, anymore. Sure you can pause them or, in the case of turn-based games, walk away for a short while, but when kids are involved, that "short while" invariably becomes a long while. By that time, you've completely forgotten what you were doing and the game is ruined.

Nowadays, it's games like Stinkoman and Super Monkey Ball, for me.

Re:it's called...

[Cheap Imitation]

Sadly, when the kids are in bed is the best time to do the dishes, the laundry, pay the bills, clean the house, or most of the other daily chores that need to be done.

By the time those are complete, it's often too late, or I'm too tired, to fire up a game.

I miss gaming. I used to love strategy and role playing games. But the small snippets of time I now get make it almost impossible to maintain continuity in anything deeper than driving games or 3D shooters. It's like trying to watch a movie in 10 minute per day chunks. It loses something.

Re:Rated R for Retarded

[HappySqurriel]

This is actually one of the more interesting things I noticed with the Wii ...

I, and most of the gamers I know who are between 25-40, really wanted to get a Wii as early as I could; my Sister-in-Law's nephew (14) and most young teenage boys (13-17) say that the Wii is "Too Kiddie". It seems to me that, in general, what teenagers (and teenagers at heart) think of as 'Mature' most adults think of as immature.

Re:If /. is a game...

[flink]

The only winning move is not to play.

- /. Loser

Re:get thrown up?

[geekoid]

hahaha... yeah make her stay up all night while you sleep, and then deal with it all day while you work.

Man, please never , ever, copulate.
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