Well TV is just staring at a screen, and movies are just big screens to stare at, and everyone goes to those. Books are just paper you stare at, Cellphones are screens that you talk to, and you all are staring at a computer screen right now. Anyone who says that videogames are a waste of time because all you do is stare at it, is the biggest hypocrite in the world. (unless they live in the jungle and whine about it all day)
Parent's reaction to video games
- Thread starter Kanlic
- Start date
They're fine with it. In fact, I got into them because of my dad. Started with us playing DOOM together when I was, like, 5 or so. I'd sit on his lap, and we'd take turns moving/shooting. Then we got a playstation 1 and Dreamcast and played Power Stone, NFL Blitz 2K, Crash Team Racing, Tekken 2, and Twisted Metal 2 together. Fun times.
Nowadays he doesn't play much, but he likes the recent Rainbow Six Vegas games and Crimson Skies.
Step-Dad plays games every now and then. Loves Counter-Strike and Civilization.
Mom doesn't play games. Doesn't care one way or the other really.
So yeah, if anything my parents got me into gaming in the first place. So... go me!
"Two things are infinite in this universe. The universe itself, and human stupidity. And we're not even that sure about the universe."
Nowadays he doesn't play much, but he likes the recent Rainbow Six Vegas games and Crimson Skies.
Step-Dad plays games every now and then. Loves Counter-Strike and Civilization.
Mom doesn't play games. Doesn't care one way or the other really.
So yeah, if anything my parents got me into gaming in the first place. So... go me!
Idiots can be from any race/religion/creed/ect. In fact, Einstein said it best.orangeapples said:well, it was my understanding that Athists based their belief in logic and science... Looking at facts and making decisions based on those facts.Kanlic said:
"Two things are infinite in this universe. The universe itself, and human stupidity. And we're not even that sure about the universe."
Video Games arn't poison, how many kids do you see mugging old women or stealing cars?
it seems that Video Games are becoming that one thing to blame all the bad stuff on. In half a decade or a decade then somthing new will come along like augmented reality or somthing and the same thing will happen to it. It happened to Rock 'n' Roll, it happened to TV and it happened to the internet. This whole thing about "Games are evil" is coming to an end friends and sooner or later, people are going to realise just how fun and enriching games can be.
In response to Video Games are stupid, i have the exact oposite opinion. Ever since playing Assasin's Creed, i have become interested in The Crusades and Renaisance Italy culture. I feel real feelings like playing Games. Fear playing Amnesia, Excitment playing Mass Effect 2, Exhliration when looking through the landscapes in Zelda and Joy when i have saved yet another Dragon from Gnasty Gnorc's evil clutches.
the same could be said of books "All you do is stare at a page" etc.
If you want your family to take you seriously about this , show them gameoplay footage of a very striking and story based game, Persona 4 or somthing like that, one with issues.
If all else fails, Extra Credits. That show has enriched my life because my parents are a little more understanding about games now
Short Version. Games are Emotion Evoking and are goindg to be a big part of our lives
it seems that Video Games are becoming that one thing to blame all the bad stuff on. In half a decade or a decade then somthing new will come along like augmented reality or somthing and the same thing will happen to it. It happened to Rock 'n' Roll, it happened to TV and it happened to the internet. This whole thing about "Games are evil" is coming to an end friends and sooner or later, people are going to realise just how fun and enriching games can be.
In response to Video Games are stupid, i have the exact oposite opinion. Ever since playing Assasin's Creed, i have become interested in The Crusades and Renaisance Italy culture. I feel real feelings like playing Games. Fear playing Amnesia, Excitment playing Mass Effect 2, Exhliration when looking through the landscapes in Zelda and Joy when i have saved yet another Dragon from Gnasty Gnorc's evil clutches.
the same could be said of books "All you do is stare at a page" etc.
If you want your family to take you seriously about this , show them gameoplay footage of a very striking and story based game, Persona 4 or somthing like that, one with issues.
If all else fails, Extra Credits. That show has enriched my life because my parents are a little more understanding about games now
Short Version. Games are Emotion Evoking and are goindg to be a big part of our lives
"Videogames are stupid"
"Says the guy who likes reggeaton and vallenato"
"Yeah? well... I... you're dumb"
"I rest my case" *puts sunglasses on*
"Says the guy who likes reggeaton and vallenato"
"Yeah? well... I... you're dumb"
"I rest my case" *puts sunglasses on*
I'd like to include tabletop games in that. When I was about sixteen I came home with a rulebook for Vampire. I'd had it for a couple days, for a campaign a friend would be running. My mother seized the book, pronouncing it "sick, sick, sick" except she said it maybe twenty-seven times. I was immediately banned from playing. The book belonged to my friend; I was almost unable to give it back to him.Kanlic said:
Parents, I'd like to lay out a hypothetical scenario for you:
Let's suppose your kid is at the top of all his academic classes, and is so well-behaved it makes you wonder if maybe you're doing the job of parenting a little too well.
Let's suppose, however, your kid is ALSO last chosen in gym class, gets picked on daily by a gang of a dozen mean-spirited little pricks, is laughed at by guys and girls alike (even some of the faculty), has maybe two friends in the whole world, and only has them for friends because no one else wanted them. Let's suppose he takes no joy in anything, has absolutely zero outlet for pain and stress. He's the guy who will not be asked to sign a single yearbook. Make any argument you like about how high school is nothing compared to real life, that's still a pretty miserable state to be in.
Now let's suppose he sees something, for the first time, which might be that outlet. For just a few hours a week, he can pretend to be someone else. He looks at the vampire -- stuck being one age forever, constantly feeling evil urges he sometimes can't control, unable to love or be loved, the whole angsty package -- and sees a marvelous kinship. He already has video games. They haven't ruined him. He likes them. But here, at last, is something he could love, a way to get out of himself for a short time. He can sit with some like-minded people, who might join his tiny circle of friends, and roll dice for a few hours. Exploring someone else's much larger problems will make his own seem less severe. He can have his outlet, he might even be better for it, and no one will get hurt.
Now let's suppose you snatch it away and tell him he's sick for wanting to do it.
Tell me: How have you helped him?
Parents, I'm being serious here. I really want to know how that helps.
While my dad doesn't really game outside of casual crap (he does play Angry Birds, though, which we can both agree is a great game), he doesn't really have a problem with the kinds of games I play. He doesn't understand them fully (for example, he can't accept the fact that a game can be scary, despite my not-so-gentle reminders that he's never played a horror game and wouldn't know what it feels like otherwise), but he can see that they're a very important and, at the very least, non-detrimental part of my life. He also fully supports my desire to become a game designer, even if he does keep telling me to put a "robot with a hair-lip" in one of my future games (hint: ain't gonna happen), which suggests that he doesn't quite understand what I mean to accomplish with my games, unless he's just being facetious. All-in-all, though, I'd say I'm pretty lucky with my dad.
Even luckier is my pool of close friends, most of whom are gamers themselves of varying flavors. One friend shares my love of Valve, and we've both got quite a few hours of Portal 2 co-op under our collective belts, while another is more into strange Japanese and indie fair and has loaned me a number of interesting games in the past that I otherwise wouldn't have a had a chance to play (like Okami, Shadow of the Colossus, and Katamari Damacy). Hell, even my high school teachers were accepting and open-minded about my gaming, especially once I'd explained my views on them and their potential as an art form. I don't know what it is about my life that attracts these people to me, but I don't think I've ever had a run-in with anyone who genuinely thought games were bad, a waste of time, or "just toys for children," especially after having a chat with me on the subject. I guess I'm just really really lucky.
Even luckier is my pool of close friends, most of whom are gamers themselves of varying flavors. One friend shares my love of Valve, and we've both got quite a few hours of Portal 2 co-op under our collective belts, while another is more into strange Japanese and indie fair and has loaned me a number of interesting games in the past that I otherwise wouldn't have a had a chance to play (like Okami, Shadow of the Colossus, and Katamari Damacy). Hell, even my high school teachers were accepting and open-minded about my gaming, especially once I'd explained my views on them and their potential as an art form. I don't know what it is about my life that attracts these people to me, but I don't think I've ever had a run-in with anyone who genuinely thought games were bad, a waste of time, or "just toys for children," especially after having a chat with me on the subject. I guess I'm just really really lucky.
The only people I know who are that narrow minded are family members. Once I moved out I met more sane, reasonable people. So don't give in and have hope. Your 18th birthday and your trip to a college far far away from your family will be upon you soon.
You have my condolences. My parents pointlessly complained about my hobby (said it would make me fail school. While I'm no genius I graduated high school on time with a GPA above 3.0) and made hollow threats to get rid of my games and consoles or just destroy them. They never enacted their threats so I say again, you have my sympathies for your broken games.
You have my condolences. My parents pointlessly complained about my hobby (said it would make me fail school. While I'm no genius I graduated high school on time with a GPA above 3.0) and made hollow threats to get rid of my games and consoles or just destroy them. They never enacted their threats so I say again, you have my sympathies for your broken games.
I HAD a gaming addiction two years ago. I got over it with professional help.
My parents still think I have it. They constantly insult me thinking it won't hurt my self esteem.
Everytime somebody dies and games are blamed, they send me a link through email and print it hundreds of times.
I do other activities. I can't play 10 minutes without being called an addict.
So they are not fond of games at all.
My parents still think I have it. They constantly insult me thinking it won't hurt my self esteem.
Everytime somebody dies and games are blamed, they send me a link through email and print it hundreds of times.
I do other activities. I can't play 10 minutes without being called an addict.
So they are not fond of games at all.
Well, unfortunately my parents think the same. I tried countless time to explain to my mother that it's important for the game to have a story and that's why I play it, but she thinks it's a waste of time. She thankfully doesn't think that games lead to violence. Recently I showed her Amnesia (the water part) and when I got really nervous and scary and said that I'm gonna die, she immediately asked why I refer to myself instead of referring to the character I'm playing as. She is always extremely afraid of immersion which is the whole point of a good game. In her opinion if you think that what you do in the game is real, then something is clearly wrong with you. I tried to compare the game to a book but still useless.
I don't even try to explain gaming to my father anymore. First of all, he is a sailor, so he's half the time not even home and secondly his only obsession is Solitaire. I tried to recommend some games with a story but he just said that he couldn't learn to play them (his second argument was that if he got hooked on a game then I wouldn't be able to get close to pc, so that made me think twice). I believe he understands games a little bit more though but still dismisses them as a waste of time.
As for my friends it's hit and miss. My closest friend would sometimes get hooked on a game and we could spend a lot of time discussing it (if I played it too, that doesn't always happen as I have games I wanna play too) but she is not always playing. In fact she can play 1 month and then never touch any game for 5 months. But she will gladly listen to my gaming stories and my experience and thoughts and I am very grateful for having someone I can share them with. Other friends aren't gamers and those who are I don't get to meet that often. When my friend and I start talking about some game other girls just look puzzled and can't enter our conversation, so we try not to talk about gaming when there are lots of people.
I don't even try to explain gaming to my father anymore. First of all, he is a sailor, so he's half the time not even home and secondly his only obsession is Solitaire. I tried to recommend some games with a story but he just said that he couldn't learn to play them (his second argument was that if he got hooked on a game then I wouldn't be able to get close to pc, so that made me think twice). I believe he understands games a little bit more though but still dismisses them as a waste of time.
As for my friends it's hit and miss. My closest friend would sometimes get hooked on a game and we could spend a lot of time discussing it (if I played it too, that doesn't always happen as I have games I wanna play too) but she is not always playing. In fact she can play 1 month and then never touch any game for 5 months. But she will gladly listen to my gaming stories and my experience and thoughts and I am very grateful for having someone I can share them with. Other friends aren't gamers and those who are I don't get to meet that often. When my friend and I start talking about some game other girls just look puzzled and can't enter our conversation, so we try not to talk about gaming when there are lots of people.
pvaglueman123 said:
Richardplex said:
I actually linked my folks the video for Enriching Lives when it came out., Mom was impressed. Dad said "There's always exceptions." I can't win.TypeSD said:
Yea I always think this too, but I try not to bring it up. Too confrontational, once people get defensive they never back down and then you lose them. Not that that really matters since chances are they have already made up their mind, and you'd make more social progress by blowing a clown long enough for him to forget about those kids he's been eyeing.thathaloguy117 said:
The reason it took me so long to respond is because I got linked to HISHE and was introduced to that lovely web series.Alex Cowan said:
Anyways I'm in the same boat. If I know the folks are home, I play video games on eggshells, listening to their footsteps more than paying attention to the game. I feel like my buddy Julian does whenever he wants to blow smoke in his room, but the difference is that I ain't doing anything illegal.
My parents never cared. My mom played casual games, bejeweled and the like. She liked the old Atari games like Carnival back in her day too.
My dad doesn't play. I've tried to get him into it a couple times, but he doesn't want to learn the hand eye coordination necessary for it, and at his age I don't exactly blame him. However, hes also the guy that bought me my first rifle and paid for my pistol permit course/application. If he thinks I'm sane enough to own a firearm or twelve he clearly doesn't have a problem with me gaming. He also likes to watch when I'm playing, though I can't stand it when hes watching me on the computer (he has to look over my shoulder which creeps my out no matter whos doing it.)
My dad doesn't play. I've tried to get him into it a couple times, but he doesn't want to learn the hand eye coordination necessary for it, and at his age I don't exactly blame him. However, hes also the guy that bought me my first rifle and paid for my pistol permit course/application. If he thinks I'm sane enough to own a firearm or twelve he clearly doesn't have a problem with me gaming. He also likes to watch when I'm playing, though I can't stand it when hes watching me on the computer (he has to look over my shoulder which creeps my out no matter whos doing it.)
My close friends play video games, as well as my two brothers. My sisters plays our old N64 and thats it. My mom is meh on the subject, where as my dad enjoys watching them. He tried playing them but he is in his 50s so he doesnt really try much. But he asks questions and such about what they are about and everything. Hell he asked me to only play Heavy Rain when he was there, it was like watching a movie.
Some of my friends think it?s weird and geeky but most play games as well. My parents are cool with unless I? suppose to be doing other things. They don't really see it any different from any other entertainment. Hell my mother use to play doom as stress relief after work.
My ad thinks they stem bad behaviour and violence, but he knows I know better. My family is pretty chill about games. My dad played Goldeneye once. He was rubbish, but had fun.
My mom doesn't like it, but my mom doesn't like t.v. or movies either so whatever. My dad actually does show a genuine interest in games and surprisingly sits down to watch me play a lot. He doesn't play any because he's terrible at them. He likes playing the Lego games though.
My parents are awesome with games. It was my dad that introduced me and my brother to gaming when he bought a playstation and V-rally. Our fates as gamers were sealed when he bought syphon filter ( an 18 at the time which is just laughable now) and we used to watch him play it.
A few years later we tried LAN matches of combat flight simulator and mohaa, eventually we took mohaa onto the interwebs and joined a clan, and so began our walk down the path of hardcore gaming.
At present me and my brother play WoW and my dad plays a modded version of cod4 on the pc. He used to not understand why me and my brother couldn't leave the game to get dinner and stuff until I eventually compared raiding to clan matches. Recently he has even been able to recognise when we are in arenas.
My mum originally thought that games are stupid but she did eventually try playing them after years of living with a family of gamers. Unfortunately they give her really bad motion sickness. Though she still shows some interest in WoW
A few years later we tried LAN matches of combat flight simulator and mohaa, eventually we took mohaa onto the interwebs and joined a clan, and so began our walk down the path of hardcore gaming.
At present me and my brother play WoW and my dad plays a modded version of cod4 on the pc. He used to not understand why me and my brother couldn't leave the game to get dinner and stuff until I eventually compared raiding to clan matches. Recently he has even been able to recognise when we are in arenas.
My mum originally thought that games are stupid but she did eventually try playing them after years of living with a family of gamers. Unfortunately they give her really bad motion sickness. Though she still shows some interest in WoW