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With three birthdays - not to mention Christmas - just around the corner at my house, I was interested to read the release of PC Magazine's list of the 10 worst games
of all time and was more than relieved to learn that we didn't own any of them (yet!?!) and perhaps even a little surprised.
Apparently, I am NOT the only person on the fence about what video games to buy for my kids, this year.
It seems playing Nintendo, Xbox or Playstation (when chosen carefully and played on the proper platform) may not be as bad as we were lead to believe, as the blogosphere begins to understand scientists' new vision of video games:
The Federation of American Scientists says that video games can redefine education. The theory is that games teach skills that employers want: analytical thinking, team building, multitasking and problem-solving under duress.
[Blogtip: Blogging Baby]
Yes, but - haven't they heard? - how've we been told, time and time again, video games make our kids violent; don't they?
Sara Gilbert blogged about how she thought - as most parents early on do - her children would never own a video game system. That is, until Microsoft began marketing Xbox 360 to preschoolers through 'Pinata' cartoons and admits that their campaign is slowly beginning to grow on her, too:
It's really such a brilliant strategy. Children are ever so perceptible to brands at the ages of three and four, and ever so much cuter when they beg for things. You can just feel my "I nevers" melting away like so many pieces of caramel inside one of the pinata characters in the new Xbox 360 game, now can't you? I can't say I'm pleased. But secretly, quietly.
If you're seriously looking into investing in a gaming system, the general consensus is that there are two basic rules of thumb - following Gadzooki's recipe for saving $1,000 per video game system:
1. Buy your system one year after its release. In doing this you set YOUR OWN video game cycle.
2. Never buy a game over $20. Most games get this low pretty quickly and rarely take more than one year on the market.
Pretty simple, but utterly successful. It allows you to get more game for your buck.
So start gaming to your own drum-beat and you’ll realize there’s no need to play by the industry’s rules anymore.
The Girl Gamer lists five reasons why she does NOT want to be one of the cool kids in line to buy Nintendo Wii or PS3 next month:
1. First year games are usually last generation quality:
Graphics are usually last gen and the games could have easily been played on the previous system, but if you wait about a year and then suddenly the games seem to get better.
2. Lack of gaming choices:
To fully enjoy a system you need to be able to pick the game types you want and when a system only has 10 games available on the launch day, the selection is slim at best.
3. Glitches:
Xbox 360 had systems that didn’t turn on, or have video feed to the TV, Nintendo DS had hinges that broke with little or no effort, Xbox had a power cord that could catch on fire and now the PS3 had problems with overheating just before launch.
4. Exclusives:
Nintendo 64 owners know what I mean – Final Fantasy jumped ship to Playstation and left Nintendo fans crying into their cartridge slots.
5. Lack of Units:
Every new system not starting with the name Nintendo loves to screw with us gamers by hyping their systems and then not producing enough units for the public to buy, which means gamers either wait in line at Best Buy in a sleeping bag overnight or pay double or even triple the
price on Ebay to get the system right away.
Things to look for when buying kid-safe videos:
Consider the ratings:
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Early Childhood (3 years and up)
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Everyone (kids - Adults)
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Teens (13 years and up)
The American Academy of Pediatrics cautions that video game ratings are not always accurate.
Check the content and consult guides to determine if the contect reflects what you feel is appropriate for your child:
[source]
My seven-year-old son idolizes his uncle (my twin brother and only sibling) who is currently serving in the Army National Guard and is very much into...well...basically, anything to do with the military. Although I don't think of his wearing fatigues and collecting army figures as anything more than
