Gaming today is not just a joystick

The world of gaming has changed, gone are the dark days where only acne covered teenagers who tended to scream loudly when exposed to sunlight. In these times a gaming console or a PC catered for the person sat in front of it and no-one else, sure a fellow gamer could be tempted to stop for a moment and watch over your shoulder as you attempted the impossible on screen but otherwise interaction was minimalistic to say the least. As PC’s became more powerful the software could cope with executing the game programme as well as chat to other computers wired to it, this was the birth of the LAN (Local Area Network). The games tried but usually failed to give an immersive and engaging game for multiple players. Then they worked out that many, mainly men, liked to shoot their friends virtually so then the attention of the programmers turned to networking and using the new invention of the internet. At this point in history the consoles started to acknowledge that the future was in multiple player games. The advent of Multiple Online Role Playing Games sealed the deal.

In this 21st century and digitally enlightened time the world of gaming is coveted from cradle to the grave. There are platforms out there specifically designed to entice portions of the populous who just a few years ago would have scoffed at the very notion.

Couple this with the fact that as every day passes even more households gain access to high speed digital internet access and we have the modern gaming world. Millions of people log onto games across the globe every day often spending more time in the company of their digital friends than their real life ones. The gaming industry as a whole now challenges the income potential of film and cinema. World championship competitions are now common, million pound prizes often up for grabs if you are indeed the best of the best.

All this development and emergence of new playing styles and formats has led to an explosion in the peripherals market. To give you an edge in battle, to speed up the process of data entry or just to be able to communicate swiftly with your digital friends. As anyone who has tried to use the chat on a PS3 will know, the recipient will have aged by the time you have typed your message using their built in letter selection box. One of the first peripherals I bought was a clip on bluetooth keypad that just clicks onto the handset; it was a vast improvement to what I had. Next thing that came was the headset allowing me to talk to the rest of the team I was with as we set off to save the universe… again. Now, I am planning on getting a new controller, something much more ergonomic which will allow me to play in comfort for longer. I like GC-1 pad made by Gioteck. It is ergonomically designed with anti-slip rubber grips and it looks cool too!

These are just some of an almost infinite number of things you can buy now to enhance your gaming experience. It is a golden time for birthday presents and Xmas gifts with so many options there is always something for someone.

Currently I play Final Fantasy XIV. It is a beautiful and well design game which “sucks” you in for hours at the time… but it is the way I / we like to spend our free time so do not judge us to quick.

Are you a fan of online gaming?

If so, what are yours must have peripherals these days?

* Post written in collaboration with Gioteck.

Can video games replace the real playground?

The answer is:

Yes, they certainly could

But

No, we should not allow this to happen!

Video games are fun but they cannot become a substitute for a real playground with kids in real fresh air. It is so sad that so many parents are losing sight that kids have to be kids… they need to go out and explore, discover new things and have their own adventures… this is an important part of growing up…

As most of you know our roof didn’t survive the pouring rain and we were flooded. The roof is sorted but bedroom still needs a crucial make-over. In light of this we decided to sale our mid sleeper kid bed and replace it with a new one. A few days ago the new owners of the bed arrived to collect it and with them a charming 8 year old boy. We agreed that we would pull it apart all together so it would be easier to see how to make back in to a bed later on. Lots of screws to undo… As the bed has lots of storage underneath I started to talk with the little boy about his plans and where his things will go… and basically all he was interested in was to find the perfect spot for his Xbox and games. Ok, I thought to myself, kids play video games, this is nothing new. So to keep the conversation going I asked what his favourite game is at this moment. And the answer was: GTAV. I think at this point Mum noticed my rather shocked face so she started to explain… Oh, but he has 2 older brothers, so you know…I cannot help, all he wants to do is to play a video games…

OMG so what!

Boy is 8 years old, GTA is rated 18!

I could totally understand a teenager close to the age limit playing the game, but this boy is 8!

Also at 8 aren’t kids suppose to do what they are told? What does it mean “…all he wants to do is play video games…” he is a kid, you are his Mum… sort it out!

I just couldn’t follow up on this conversation, so pretending to be busy I start taking some vital bed part downstairs, I just backed off… I couldn’t risk opening my mouth in front of the kids, as knowing me I would have problems with stopping the lecturing “Mum”.

I am not saying that video games are bad, of course they are not. They are fun; they can teach you a lot and for all means play if you want but all things in moderation. There is so many cool kids games the 8 years old would enjoy, why let him play the game which promotes fast dangerous driving, shooting people, stealing and let’s not forget to visit the whore house… he is 8 years old!

We play a lot, we are gamers. We own most of the consoles out there but we never forget that games have age ratings. There are 100s if not 1000s titles on the market and everyone starting out with very young kids can easily pick something they like and something that is age appropriate. Video games can be fun but so can a walk in the park or just hanging with your friends talking chit chat…

Life gets faster as technology progresses, we have much less time to ourselves, for our kids, but we must not lose sight of the important things. Putting kids in front of the TV and turning a gaming console on must seem like the perfect solution!

I don’t think it is!

This is my small private appeal to all the parents out there – please do not let video games replace the real playground, or at least not every day!