Sunday Thoughts: 21/06/09
Will our children see us as rusty tools in their gaming workshop?Published 21/06/2009 at 17:00 by xvLIAMvx
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Video gaming in the 80’s and early 90’s involved going to the arcades having begged your parents for their loose change and entering a verbal contract binding you to car washing duties for a month. Scrubbing dad’s old Rover was worth it though, as classics such as Rampage, Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Tron, and After Burner were some of the best offerings of electronic entertainment in their time. I remember how my parents, especially my father, never understood what I was doing. It seemed that even the simplest computer games (in comparison with today’s titles) baffled my mum and dad, and what I was doing was almost alien. This is something that has not changed much at all, and my parents never really play games or worse still – understand what it is my little brother is doing in his spare time. Though a crying shame as it may seem, it is hardly surprising as games and computers to them are like rocket science and understanding DNA to us.
So through the 80’s and the 90’s most parents back then paid little attention to the increase in what is today a forty-billion dollar industry, and “fell behind” the very youth they were spawning. Most parents seemed to simply dismiss gaming and advances in computer science, remaining adamant that books, paper and pencil and the News at Ten were never really going to be threatened. How wrong they were.
Today I witness many parents just letting their child “get on with it” in front of a TV and PlayStation, without knowing exactly what that child is doing. To the parent, it may as well be a different language. Hell, most kids will be gaming on a standard definition television set-up because the parents are not in tune with today’s technology. This is not a dig at those parents, as they were brought up in different times with different principles, and there is no right or wrong here, but it is a shame to see a “barrier” in place between a father and son just because the father knows very little about what his son is doing, and how he is doing it. The son may turn to the father and ask if they would like to play Resistance 2 together, but I can just see the father reaching for his old Nokia 3210 and pushing the buttons on the number pad slowly with a forceful index finger, whilst squinting to see what letter has been now popped up on the screen, in an attempt to text somebody that may be able to translate what his son just asked. Not true for all parents, but certainly a good few many, and most likely from the 80’s or before.
Nintendo I think are spot on with the Wii in this respect, as the little white brick certainly makes it easier for parents to get involved. My dad, even my granddad, can play on a Wii, as it simply replicates real life motions – such as Wii Sports. But lets be honest, most kids after the “best” entertainment (the sort that won’t see them receiving a wedgie at school for playing – looking at you Mario Galaxy) will be after a so-called hardcore console, such as the PS3. To most seniors of the last generation – a PS3 could be a NASA super computer for all they know, and they will put off trying to fathom it. With the PS3 wand and Microsoft’s Natal project coming next year, the barriers preventing a father and son playing shall hopefully be brought down.
Luckily, I as well as most you readers, will no doubt be clued up with today’s video gaming tech. With games now having dedicated sites for extra statistics and notices of events such as Bungie for Halo 3 and Killzone.com for, wel,l Killzone, gaming is getting more and more complicated. We cannot blame our seniors for not understanding half the stuff we do around and within video games, as even I get stumped on occasion. Yeah, I will admit that COD4 and its perk system had me confused for a little bit. In my first few games I had airstrikes available to call in but ran around the level looking for something to call them in with. Lost and confused, wanting to drop my airstrike, I discovered it was simply a button press away, and felt a little stupid. But then I was brought up with games that simply involved pressing a button, pointing in the direction of the enemy, and bam – dropping him like a sack of. Now we have perks, clans, leader boards, customise this and add this on to that, voice chat and even voice controlled games. Fortunately I have kept up with the times and hope that by continuing to play games as much as I do, I will be able to take my son on at any games he plays in the future.
So like our parents and grandparents before us, will we be as out of tune with the games and the gaming technology of our children’s future? Or are we better equipped to adapt and participate? Who thinks they will still be as eager to play games at the age of fifty? What technology do we think our children will be using to play video games? I for one feel that we are fortunate enough to be caught in this advancing age where computers and games are so popular, and that we are continuously subjected to its progression and alterations in the way we interact. I like to believe I will always enjoy video games, but there is a deep voice inside that tells me one day I may just have to force myself to keep up-to-date with technology, so that I may actually stand a chance of understanding and taking part in my sons electronic entertainment.
As it is Fathers Day today, I am to play LittleBigPlanet with my son before taking him to see a film. I hope that in each Fathers Day of the future, should my son ask me to play a game with him, I can at least take part and play with confidence, and my son doesn’t see me as an old timer with no clue as to what he is actually doing.
So to all you parents baffled with your child’s console; pick up a pad and get involved! Sure at first it may seem complicated, but are you going to let you child outsmart you at such an early age? You have a lot to teach your child, and as with all other things in parenthood – your child has a lot to teach you. What better way to spend a Fathers Day than to take the time and make the effort to better understand what could be your child’s favourite hobby. Likewise, after reading this, go and grab your father or mother, and get them gaming with you. Tell them not to be afraid, as it’s not real, and they can hold your hand if they want.
What technology do you want to see available for future gaming? Do you think you’ll even be playing games when you’re nearing middle-age? Do your parents take part in gaming with you today? Discuss people. Oh, and to all you other fathers – happy Fathers Day!
Comments
Please note that all comments are the opinion of the individual author and not TheSixthAxis.
DarthSharkey | 21/06/2009 17:11
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1044 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
I think I’ll be playing games for many years to come, all being well. My mum likes playing Wii sports bowling, not the actual game but the training section were the game adds a row each time. Other than that then it’s a no go.
My better half has recently been playing games on her DS and I’m trying to get her up to PS3 / 360 games now but it’s taken nearly 7 years and she is finally seeing how fun they can be.
Jumping Monks | 21/06/2009 17:16
Legend
1102 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2009
Very nice read here Fruit. I like to see myself in 10-15 years time or so, with a few kids of my own being able to teach them about computer games. Give them an N64 to start with with a copy of Mario 64 or LoZ:OoT and make them knowledgeable about games from my era. Then introduce them to something more hi-tec and once they are of the right age, introduce them to games such as Dead Space and other such games. I do not foresee my children getting ahead of the game as such. I’m fairly certain gaming is at my heart now and it’s here to stay. I’m not about to get lost in the advancing age of computers and gaming.
Gamoc | 21/06/2009 17:27
Team TSA: Content Manager
1216 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
I won’t be getting lost at all in the future. I intend to do this gaming journalism thing full time, so getting lost just isn’t an option.
You, er, might want to clean up the grammar in there, Fruit.
Hodgi92 | 21/06/2009 17:30
The Thumb
1057 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Great read. And paragraph 3 describes my father perfectly, ha
mcphatty | 21/06/2009 17:33
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Very nice article cheers Fruit! I don’t see myself playing games forever, but for now I’ll enjoy them every now and then. Me and my sister sometimes play Wii with our parents, my mum is very into her Wii fit and happy to watch us play Little Big Planet for a bit, but they have their own interests and I don’t think thats a bad thing. Its nice that you can play with your son though
gazzagb | 21/06/2009 18:04
Master of speling mitakse
2760 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
After reading this i got my mum to play Wii Sports (didnt think she would appreciate Nazi Zombies on COD:W@W lol). Unsurprisingly, she lost the tennis match to me and is has now been playing it for the past hour trying to get better. I cant use the tele til she goes. Thanks Fruit =p
Spotter5 | 21/06/2009 18:22
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857 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Good job my dad is up to date with current tech
Though, computers still baffle him sometimes.. He’s quite ok on CoD 4, though 
Dexter17 | 21/06/2009 18:48
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Absolutely amazing article – don’t think I have enjoyed reading Sunday Thoughts more than that. My mum and dad try to take a interest, by asking me say, “What happened at this years E3?” and the like, but when it actually comes down to picking up a pad and playing a game with me, they find it hard to get involved. This article has inspired me to try and get them playing a bit more. Come on, how hard can it be…………..
Kevling | 21/06/2009 19:23
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2023 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2008
Nice article Fruit. I’m 40 next month and fully intend to be gaming until the bitter end.
I like to think I’m probably at the top end agewise of parents who “get” games – my granddad got me into it in the 70’s with a Grandstand pong clone (he was always into his gadgets), closely followed by my mum getting me the original woody Atari VCS…
Looking at people I know who are slightly older (brothers in law, for example) and to them games are utterly alien…
My kids love games too (how could they not?), in fact I got back from visiting my dad today to find my daughter on the Wii and my son on the PS3, both in their current favourites games (Harry Potter and Burnout Paradise)… Having said that, we are careful to set limits on how much “screen time” they get each day, and always know exactly what they are playing.
Unfortunately as parents go, we are probably in the minority.
PS my mum (62) inherited my brothers PS1 and 2, and now DS and a Wii, but unlike most people buying into the nintendo hype, she actively buys new games every month!
PSN_KAP | 21/06/2009 19:34
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I still play games til my thumbs fall off
BRITEside | 21/06/2009 19:34
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Im only 24 and already baffled at being smack talked by what sounds like a 5 year old over the mic as i watch a death cam of him t-bagging me behind me back pre-death in cod 5.id like to sy that i don’t suck,but it seems kids are mastering complex games earlier and earlier. I think if parents wee more involved their 5 year old kids would be playing more age appropriate games complex or not.
BRITEside | 21/06/2009 19:36
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SRY spelling
colmshan1990 | 21/06/2009 21:05
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Great article. Gives me food for thought
pay-t | 21/06/2009 21:05
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I think my family pretty much embraced this new technology. My dad thought me the world of video-games, while he never did anything with it in the 80ties. He loved playing the original MGS when I was 7 years old, and thus too young to play. He gave me Spyro and an awesome helicopter game, named Team Apache. How it is now? Well, my mum’s got a DS and so do I and we race Mario Kart, eventhough she prefers games like Braintrainer and Sudoku. My parents also enjoy playing Singstar and Buzz!
So I think that with games like those, atracting strengths that all generations have, common knowledge, or musicality, or just a good memory, there isn’t a real generation gap, mostly because everyone can join in.
I am even ashamed to say that my dad understands computers way better than I do. But he started learning in the same year I did, 1999.
Luckily I still beat them both in Pokémon, my Pidgeot rips them appart.
BryOnRye | 21/06/2009 21:16
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It’s fathers day? Bugger!
kevatron400 | 22/06/2009 11:45
Don't call him Kevatron400.
1756 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2008
There’s always one isn’t there?
MaxJCT | 21/06/2009 21:41
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My parents really hate me playing games, especcially my Mum. I effectively play in fear of her coming along and telling me “why don’t you do something else” after about 20 mins. I even get a bit jumpy/ nervous when I hear her coming along the corridor because I know she’s gonna tell me to “get off that thing”.
Often in the evenings when my Dad comes into the living room, he’ll breath a deep sigh and say “honestly, you’re not on that again are you”.
I don’t think I have ever played a game for longer than 2 hours before, and I even have to get up early in the mornings if I wanna have some time before anyone else gets up. I can never play in the evenings.