Author Topic: Video Games (Read 3083 times)

Änσnymσus · « **on:** November 01, 2013, 12:05:19 PM »

Do you allow your children play video games? Or do you as a grown up play them yourself?

Matthew · « **Reply #1 on:** November 01, 2013, 12:19:26 PM »

Myself, I prefer writing them to playing them. I just don't have time to waste playing video games.

I'm starting to branch out into writing desktop/Android games for a living, so my 2 older kids get to be "beta testers". The game I'm currently writing is for kids anyhow. I'm a child of my time, so I still prefer 2D old school or "retro" type games. (Think: Final Fantasy II or any Super Nintendo game.)

My "older" kids (the ones who have lost at least 1 tooth) also sometimes play browser games on Highlights or Cat in the Hat.

But they have to be somewhat educational and/or completely innocent. But they also have to be considered a treat. Not the default mode of entertainment. They don't get to plop down in front of the screen whenever they want all day long. My kids have to know how to play, how to amuse themselves, how to pray, how to help with household chores, how to exercise, and they can't have their imaginations stunted.

Also, there is a minimum age for "screens". Below a certain age, screens do absolutely no good, and only harm a child's developing brain and imagination.

If you haven't seen this famous video, it's only 1.5 minutes, I IMPLORE you to do so:

The toddler in the video can't work a good-old-fashioned magazine, but he can work an iPad. Imagine the long-term damage to this poor young human being!

More is not always better.

Learning how to use PCs at age 10 or 15 is fine. Learning how at 2 years old won't "give them an edge", it will simply mess them up. Period!

Baby Einstein videos can go rot in hell. (Sure enough, who owns Baby Einstein? Disney! Even the heretic Baptists know that Disney is evil.) Along with all "toddler" games available on tablets/phones. You know, the ones where they teach "colors" and keep it simple, because "what else can a 2 year old handle?" I'll tell you what they can handle -- being offline. Don't ruin the kid's brain.

Änσnymσus · « **Reply #2 on:** November 01, 2013, 01:24:20 PM »

I like video games, I play them, my kids play them. We have a lot of rules regarding them. Mine probably play them once every two weeks, myself more so in the winter when we are stuck inside.

They are cost efficient for a big family. No piece to lose, hours of play, different scenarios and strategies. They last a long time and almost everyone in the household who is old enough can play. Our board games, which we also love to play, take up a ton more space.

Are there better things to do? Yep. If we are playing video games we either don't have enough time/space for a long project or everything to be done that is better, has been done and we are tired and want to relax with minimal effort.

Matthew · « **Reply #3 on:** November 01, 2013, 02:19:29 PM »

I have an easy time not playing video games (written by others), for the following reasons:

1. They don't make any games I'm interested in. I got into video games as a 15 year old -- but that was the early 90's. To this day, I prefer 2D.

2. I don't like spending money on video games (I did enough of that when I was 16)

3. If I only play free ones, I have learned that most Android and other "free" games try to coax you to spend real money at some point, in order to fully experience the game. A lot of them are borderline scams, wastes of time, or "virtual slavery" where you do mindless "quests" to get "achievements" but the game isn't actually very fun. They are more like some kind of hamster wheel or toy.

In conclusion, the only thing that would tempt me is an older game like Final Fantasy II, or maybe Final Fantasy V which was only released in Japan. But those games aren't exactly easy to come by.

Änσnymσus · « **Reply #4 on:** November 01, 2013, 02:45:30 PM »

There is a good game called "Sid Meirs Alpha Centauri" and in it you build a civilization. It is a 2d game and you play as one of 7 factions on an alien world trying to colonise it. One of the factions is called "The Lords Believers" and all their cities have Christian names. They get a +25% advantage "when attacking enemies from strength of convictions".

Buy the game from "Gog.com" 7$ Demo game is available too.

( 20 more posts like this one and I might earn a few $ myself )

Author Topic: Video Games (Read 3083 times)

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