Gamers w/Families
How do you maintain during your gaming sessions with your family? How do you decide what your son or daughter will play? Recently, Microsoft began a campaign promoting a safer interactive experience with entertainment…Safety is no game. Is your family set? Also on the scene was a new personality, Gamer Dad, who is out to shed some light on what we fathers experience.
I wanted to get reaction, concerns and comments from those of you out there who are like myself and many others in that we game so often with our sons, daughters and family. What is it like? Have you used the Xbox 360’s parental controls? Are they effective? Do you as a parent understand the ESRB ratings guide?
What say you? Email me or leave comments about how your experience is as a parent and within a family who games together.
thx BUS.
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October 16th, 2006 at 11:51 am
Last week I signed my daughter up for a Live account and all I can say is WHAT A FIASCO! Between the verifications of my account and credit card information and disclaimers it is a small wonder any minor is signed up at all. I am pretty happy with the controls though and limitations at to what she can do and who she can associate with.
All this in preparation for Viva Pinata. Geez!
October 16th, 2006 at 12:07 pm
another Pinatatan!! my plan is working
October 16th, 2006 at 12:25 pm
Game/movie ratings have never affected me in any way, but I liked what Robbie Bach said on Major’s show yesterday, how that MS needs to really move ahead in this area to make sure gaming continues to thrive, and is not bogged down in court and censoring due to irresponsibility all around.
In this case, appeasement is the best solution.
October 16th, 2006 at 12:55 pm
Only problem with Pinata is the timing conflicts with GOW.
An administration change is what is needed. Appeasment has never worked throughout history. NRA, NOW, MADD and the Nazi’s have all proved this.
October 16th, 2006 at 1:13 pm
It may be a PR hype train, but as long as it’s educating parents on the ESRB ratings and how to use the features the Xbox 360 has to offer as far as parental controls go it’s hard to find any fault.
It’s similar to the protein sequencer doodad in the PS3 (are they still keeping that in there?), sure they are completely misconstruing it as proof of how powerful their console is, but helping to cure cancer is not something many would be foolhardy enough to criticize.
October 16th, 2006 at 2:34 pm
Not sure what you thought I meant, but what I’m getting at is; appeasing the annoying anti-game people and getting them to shut up is the best thing to do, and that is what MS is trying to do with this campaign and all the effort put into this area.
October 16th, 2006 at 3:21 pm
I’m not a parent, I saw this on gamerscoreblog need to add to mine. I call it Viva Pinata promotion. It is okay but I know my parents ignore ESRB ratings for my younger brother.
October 16th, 2006 at 6:14 pm
No, you got it right. If developers cave in and throw the anti-game lobby a bone then they will take the bone, stab developers in the back, and proceed with their agenda and take even more.
We’ve seen all this before with things like the V-chip. In that case networks and cable operators worked to develop a ratings system under the agreement there would be no mandated electronic alteration. So the lobbies took the ratings system then went to Congress and got their V-chip anyway.
October 16th, 2006 at 8:06 pm
Id set up a silver for my son. He never uses it, hes constantly on mine. Thankfully hes at an age where he just messes around and doesnt bother with LIVE. I also dont need to worry about family settings just yet. And I dont know about most parents but I dont look at ESRB ratings. I make judgements based on how I think the game is. ESRB is a guidline for parents that have no idea how to play the games.
October 17th, 2006 at 12:24 am
I don’t think the majoroity of parents really mind what their child watches or plays. Where I live lots of kids are given free reign over what to buy and watch. I remember watching Friday the 13th, chainsaw massacre etc and I turned out just fine, although gaming is an interactive experience its still just something watched on a screen. If anything its not the entertainment they prefer to delve into but the real world events that dictate the childs outcome.
Joystiq had a very interesting article on a teen who killed his parents and stepsister. From the off they blamed videogames as he had a console in his bedroom but after speaking to neighbours and relatives they found that his stepfather would often beat him with his mother watching. So, still think it was the games?
The 360 is deff a step in the right direction. But will it prevent negativity towards gaming? Nah, there’ll always be a Jack Thompson out there ready to speak ill of the pinata bashing.
October 17th, 2006 at 3:36 am
crap i got carried away lol
October 17th, 2006 at 6:39 am
haha it’s all good bigisy…i agree with ya btw.
October 17th, 2006 at 12:36 pm
[quote comment="5319"]I don’t think the majoroity of parents really mind what their child watches or plays. Where I live lots of kids are given free reign over what to buy and watch. I remember watching Friday the 13th, chainsaw massacre etc and I turned out just fine, although gaming is an interactive experience its still just something watched on a screen. If anything its not the entertainment they prefer to delve into but the real world events that dictate the childs outcome.
Joystiq had a very interesting article on a teen who killed his parents and stepsister. From the off they blamed videogames as he had a console in his bedroom but after speaking to neighbours and relatives they found that his stepfather would often beat him with his mother watching. So, still think it was the games?
The 360 is deff a step in the right direction. But will it prevent negativity towards gaming? Nah, there’ll always be a Jack Thompson out there ready to speak ill of the pinata bashing.[/quote]
wow… i need to say something. I would venture to say that the majority of parents are repsonsible adults who care very deeply about their children… some of us responsible parents happen to be gamers.
I for one do not wish for the government to control my media preferences. BUT, parents in the contrary need to be PARENTS. Under aged children are THEIR resonsibility. These adults need to be educated on the media that is available to their HOMES. I for one do not care for games liek GTA, NOR do I want my kids playing them.
But I do enjoy other games like Halo and will on occasion allow my 9yo daughter play with me and online. However, I CONTROL that time. AND I control the content. When she plays Halo online, we do not use headphones and I tend to mute the room, because of the fowl language.
SO, to put in other words, most parents do care and are not anti-game. Parnets are either not educated properly, naive, or just plain stupid.
Lets face it, some people should not be parents at all. BUT most parents are responsible and do care how their children are influenced by society and the media around them.
October 17th, 2006 at 5:01 pm
I don’t recall blaming parents for being irresponsible. What I said earlier was simply a call out to people who are naive in that they would much rather blame gaming than look at the state of the childs life (ie, what he/she has been succumbed to)……ookay, this is getting to psychological and I’ve had just about enough of that today lol.
simply put, parents in general do a great job of raising their child.