In the latest edition of Adam Sessler's soapbox, the X-Play host laments the lack of parents who actually take the time to play (and understand) videogames with their children. He references the recent study that indicated that 43% of parents think that the entertainment form is a waste of time, which didn't surprise us one bit.
Sessler wants parents to play games with their kids, and he thinks that it would give them a better understanding and a better appreciation for the rich, but young, medium. Fair enough. But have you seen some of the crap "kids" are playing these days? Having a son, I've been subjected to more television/film-licensed drivel than SeanBaby, and it's enough to make me not want to play videogames ever again. Period.
Maybe a better idea would be for non-gaming parents to do some research first, before making that tough decision between Super Mario Galaxy and High School Musical for the PlayStation 2. Around our house, the foot is down now -- we're not playing the digital disaster known as Sonic the Hedgehog on the Xbox 360, because we have a copy of Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction for the PS3. Requests for Dance Dance Mario Mix are shut down (and cause for a grounding) because "The Mighty Chesters" are on our way to Rock Band world tour domination, so why bother?
Parents, before you even consider sitting down and playing a game with your child, make sure it's a rich, quality gaming experience. Nothing could be more damaging to the credibility of the industry than an inexperienced gamer having Teen Titans as their only frame of reference.
Contest:
12:00 PM on 11.29.2007
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Well, I didn't.
My dad and his girlfriend will play Wii Sports with me. My dad thinks Excite Truck might be a little too fast-paced for him, and he's probably right. His girlfriend played Double Dash with me a few times. Perhaps my dad is coming around to the medium as he gets older (he's really just in the last 10 years or so started to embrace the computer).
I'm going to take my Wii with me up to his new digs in Bum Fuck Nowhere, Ontario this holiday, so perhaps I can coerce them into playing a bit.
But oh well, I'll whore out the video anyway and maybe some parent I know will actually get some info.
Who's shoes are these? Martha? Did you leave these shoes here? I think I'll get some juice? Where was I? oh yes....
This message is in the wrong venue Sessler... tell someone on Good Morning America... the Today Show... anywhere that people need to be told this, not on a show that caters to gamers, that's like telling me to take viagra on the 'ahem' adult chanel, totally the wrong place and time.
i can picture you ruling the gaming purchases of the household with an iron fist, and it cracks me up.
We won't fail our children the way ours did us. not that our parents are paranoid tin-foil hat wearing bible thumpers or anything.
so until that days comes, games are going to continue to be misunderstood. The future of gaming is in our hands not theirs.
RockToidBandToid all the way!
The man has cash to spend on stuff for his desk.
Otherwise, I agree with many of the commenters on here...my parents have no idea what G4 is, and if they did, they wouldn’t watch it. I’m sure that the same can be said for any parents who don’t play games. Go on the 10 o’clock news, maybe that’ll do something.
Still, I do wish I could have gotten him more immersed - played a few LAN games in Deathmatch. Console games are much more casual and would have given him the opportunity to be much more exposed to the medium, seeing as it would have been hooked to the TV.
And it's true that most kids would be willing to at least explain the premise of an addicting game to a parent, and let them play, if it would offer them a little perspective. In my opinion, it would actually be kind of fun.
I'm raising my kids on WarioWare, until they're 18.