Author Topic: Parenthood, Kids, & Gaming  (Read 4864 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Stratos

  • Stale lazy meme pirate
  • Score: 70
    • View Profile
Parenthood, Kids, & Gaming
« on: August 12, 2021, 06:47:45 PM »
So been meaning to post a thread like this for a while since I am a father now. Would love to heal other's thoughts and experiences with gaming once you became a parent.

How has it changed your play style and game preferences?

When did you introduce (or plan to introduce) gaming to your kids?

What games and systems do you recommend for various age groups?

Best family games?

I had always hoped to do a chronological introduction to game systems from NES and every year or so introduce another in their release order like some have talked about doing. But if I also plan to keep up with modern systems I know that could muddy the waters on this sort of introduction method. Also eventually they will have friends that play modern games so how long could I even maintain this restriction? I'd have to make it a faster pace than I originally planned.

What's everyone else's experiences with raising kids and games?
My Game Collection
NNID: Chronocast
Switch: SW-6786-5514-9978
3DS Friend Code: 0447-5723-6467
XBL Gamertag: Chronocast

Offline M.K.Ultra

  • is late to the party
  • *
  • Score: 15
    • View Profile
    • Games I'm Playing
Re: Parenthood, Kids, & Gaming
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2021, 09:57:09 PM »
Disclaimer: I am not a parent, however I have friends and family that have little ones so I have a little experience trying to get them into gaming.

When did you introduce (or plan to introduce) gaming to your kids?
What games and systems do you recommend for various age groups?
Best family games?

I have had the most luck with Mario Maker. Young kids (as young as five) are able to have quite a bit of fun using it as a sandbox to make levels. You can also make really easy levels that don't require running or even jumping. I think I have a few uploaded online that are like this. I bought the wedge 2DS for at least four kids and it is a really good fit for young people. I think they would still need to be about 4 years old, but those things are really solid and don't break easily. They were about $70 but I don't know if you can still get them anymore so I guess you would get a switch lite with a tough case now  ???. Any younger and you probably just want to use tablets with touch controls as the sticks/d-pads will be to difficulty to control.

Offline Khushrenada

  • is an Untrustworthy Liar
  • NWR Junior Ranger
  • Score: 38
    • View Profile
Re: Parenthood, Kids, & Gaming
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2021, 12:14:50 PM »
I had always hoped to do a chronological introduction to game systems from NES and every year or so introduce another in their release order like some have talked about doing. But if I also plan to keep up with modern systems I know that could muddy the waters on this sort of introduction method. Also eventually they will have friends that play modern games so how long could I even maintain this restriction? I'd have to make it a faster pace than I originally planned.

I guess you are just going to have to do your own home schooling on the subject with gaming as homework. Video Games 101 - Arcade Classics. Video Games 102 - Early Home Systems Atari and Intellevision. Video Games 103 - Nintendo Enters The Market 1985 - 1990. Video Games 104 - The Nintendo / Sega Console Wars 1990-1995. Video Games 105 - Sony Enters the Market 1995 - 2000.

Hmmmm. Now I'm thinking we should just start our own college for Video Games. Mop it Up can handle the N64 courses. Steefosaurus can tackle Wii U. I'll take GameCube (Cha-ching!). Don't worry, Stratos. Your kids will get the gaming education you crave once we get this organized!
Whoever said, "Cheaters never win" must've never met Khushrenada.

Offline Stratos

  • Stale lazy meme pirate
  • Score: 70
    • View Profile
Re: Parenthood, Kids, & Gaming
« Reply #3 on: August 17, 2021, 01:47:09 AM »
Just as long as tuition isn't requiring me to get a second mortgage!
My Game Collection
NNID: Chronocast
Switch: SW-6786-5514-9978
3DS Friend Code: 0447-5723-6467
XBL Gamertag: Chronocast

Offline Order.RSS

  • Resident Evil 420
  • Score: 32
    • View Profile
Re: Parenthood, Kids, & Gaming
« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2021, 04:50:25 PM »
I had always hoped to do a chronological introduction to game systems from NES and every year or so introduce another in their release order like some have talked about doing. But if I also plan to keep up with modern systems I know that could muddy the waters on this sort of introduction method. Also eventually they will have friends that play modern games so how long could I even maintain this restriction? I'd have to make it a faster pace than I originally planned.

A recent RFN episode (#732) kinda covers this idea. I do kinda like it in theory, but also sort of wonder about the rationale. I think it's easy to convince ourselves these games are more easily/immediately understood due to their simple nature... But conveniently forget how a lot of them are pretty difficult/demanding.

I guess it's easier if you start them off on a NES/SNES Classic before all their classmates are talking Roblox/MineCraft/Fortnite etc., since they won't have as much of a frame of reference for what games do/should look like.
Is the purpose to run them through a condensed version of technological increases/leaps and slowly increase the complexity? It makes sense, but maybe that's easy to say when we've experienced it ourselves. With the wide variety of games out there, I think children nowadays are just more accepting of vast differences in graphics and complexity than we were, demanding everything be 3D during the N64/PS1 era.

Boring answer but I guess I'd just try to gauge their interest in the hobby a few times, maybe present a few different options, and see what they gravitate towards? And if they don't enjoy older stuff, I guess we just kinda need to accept that. Maybe try again when they're teens ("this is what we played back in the day").

Offline GK

  • Lord of Lower Rank
  • Score: 20
    • View Profile
Re: Parenthood, Kids, & Gaming
« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2021, 03:35:22 AM »
Sorry, no kids of my own. Closest I've done was play the gamer uncle role twice(nephew & then cousin's kid). It's usually them playing what they want & thinking they're hot stuff until they visit me, then I beat the pants off of them.

Once their cries die down, I usually try to give some tips. The only hurdle I can recall was during the N64 era when my nephew started finding cheat codes & believed using those was better than actually getting good. In Diddy Kong Racing he would just use the airplane & strafe from side to side, spamming endless missiles whenever I passed him.
Mission...complete?

Offline BeautifulShy

  • Shifting my body across the galaxy
  • Score: 79
    • View Profile
    • My streaming page.
Re: Parenthood, Kids, & Gaming
« Reply #6 on: November 02, 2021, 05:47:19 AM »
Not a parent but a Aunt but I have a niece and nephew.  My older nephew is in California and my younger niece is with my sister is in Arizona so I have more contact with my niece.

From my experience what I like to do is bring my laptop over and I have her watch me play a game that I think would interest her and then she can play it and I think that helps her visually see what I am doing in the game and then she can apply it by doing.   Lots of people learn in different ways so this covers most of the bases.

She also has a Switch and 3DS so my sis and I talk about what games she might enjoy/ learn from so I give my sis advice.  My sis she does have some base understanding of game but she really gets into multiplayer games.  We used to play Super Monkey Ball 2 a lot.   But yeah my niece is pretty smart and at times depending on what she is doing in her life I can recommend games that would bolster what she is doing IRL and expand her creativity.


As far as your questions  Stratos here are my answers.


Quote
How has it changed your play style and game preferences?

When did you introduce (or plan to introduce) gaming to your kids?

What games and systems do you recommend for various age groups?

Best family games?

1.  My play style has actually gone down a bit because of responsibilities but I do tend to play games that I can get the most content of the game in short bursts so the game last longer.

Game Preferences I think my preferences has changed in the post Wii era with my steam games.  Interesting ideas, Tons of RPGs, and Individual experiences that I like with what I am doing IRL at the time.

2. My nephew he resided in Redlands, CA and me in Highland so he would come over and just play lots of Multiplayer games like Smash Melee, New Super Mario Bros Wii,  Excite Bots and Sonic Riders. Fun times.

My niece I would bring my backlog of 87 games and we would play The Legend of Korra, Sonic Generations, Thomas was Alone, Gone Home, Portal, Sega Mega Drive & Genesis Collection, The Stanley Parable, Roundabout and World of Goo.   

With Switch and 3DS I just enjoy watching what she wants to play.

3. In my situation currently my niece is in her preteens so I think Switch has such a vast array of games.  For older systems on the Switch Online service I think the SNES has lots of titles in lots of genres but mainly RPG and that can help with puzzle solving, hand eye cordination and just enjoying the games on the service.  The best part of the service is that you can dip your toes into a game and if you don't like it you can go to the next game.

4.  Best family games at the ages I think are Super Mario Galaxy/ Galaxy 2, New Super Mario series and games that you play together in co-op. Reasoning because you can help the kid/teen understand the concepts of the game and the  just have fun after that.







Maxi is dead. I killed him and took his posts and changed genders.
Alexis, she/her/Miss

Quote by Khushrenada in Safe Words 15.
Quote
I'm happy with thinking pokepal148 is just eating a stick of butter. It seems about right for him. I don't need no stinking facts.