This post has not been edited by the GamesBeat staff. Opinions by GamesBeat community writers do not necessarily reflect those of the staff.
Editor’s note: Andrew Hiscock and Alex Cronk-Young aren’t just insult-limerick battle rappers — they’re also gamer dads. And they intend to prove it with their new column, Generation Video Game. Go ahead, try and find some anapestic trimeter in here. You can’t! -Demian
My daughter is going to grow up in a new culture. In fact, she’s going to be part of the new childhood. You could say this for every generation, but her generation will be different in one key respect: She’s going to be part of the first generation whose parents grew up with video games.
The great video game debate still simmers — a discussion that will soon see its end, hopefully. Since the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System, we are nearing 1 billion home consoles and handheld video game devices sold. And that doesn’t include PCs and mobile phones. Heck, my satellite TV box has games to play.
Video games will be part of her development, and they will be a piece of her day-to-day life that I will embrace, as many other new parents will in the years to come. In fact, they will become an irrevocable part of our connection — much like the telephone was for my grandparents and parents, and the television was for my parents and me.
Of course, it will be a bumpy road. As my parents were concerned with the music videos I watched, I’ll be concerned with the games she will play, even if I understand them. Bitmob contributor Alex Cronk-Young is in a similar situation, and we’ve teamed up to explore what our children see and use, and the culture surrounding it, while examining how video games will take on a different role in our new lives as fathers.
First up, we explore exactly what we think of this new phenomenon, and some of our concerns….
Video Games As Development Tools
Andrew: We’ve already got products — whole consoles, in fact — designed for the pre-schooler set. I can only imagine that the beginning age for interactive media will continue to decrease. I see huge potential, as video games offer immediate cause-and-effect feedback with easily established reward systems. I’m concerned about the human element, but that’s not the developer’s fault — it’s the parents’ responsibility to use these devices with their children. I believe, as a gigantic mass of millions of people, we are the first generation willing to do this. We just have to make sure that we do.
Alex: As an avid gamer, I’m constantly thinking about how to introduce my daughter to games. My brother-in-law gave us a VSmile Baby, and we bought her a horse that has games built in, but she still hasn’t played with either of them. My wife and I worry about her using this kind of media too soon. Our daughter is almost two now, and couldn’t care less about TV, so I think it’s about time to let her use some of these educational video games. But considering that things like the Baby Einstein videos have questionable value, I wonder if companies are rushing this stuff to market without truly studying what effect it can have on a child’s development, if any.
I’ll have to pay close attention to how she is learning, and continue more traditional methods of teaching as well. We have unique advantages from living in the day and age that we do, but we’re also surrounded by commercialism — what at first seems like a technological breakthrough may actually just be swill shoveled out to make a few bucks.
Video Games as Culture
Andrew: Everywhere I look, I see the influence of games. Even my favorite sports talk radio host, Bob McCown of The Fan 590 Toronto, who is in his late 50s, often references “Sonic the Hedgehog, tapping his foot.” Video games will be a tastemaker for my daughter’s generation. Look at the “point-and-click adventure” style of Dora the Explorer — there’s even a cursor on the show. This excites me, but then I think of Final Fantasy costumes, and I get very worried.
Alex: As a gas station employee scanned the bar code on my snake cake, I heard a very familiar sound. It was a chime, and my mind raced — where had I heard it before? It sounded like a coin from a game, but what game? Mario? No, not Mario. It was Sonic! I returned to reality and remarked to the employee that her cash register sounded like collecting rings in Sonic the Hedgehog. She laughed, and thought it a coincidence, but I knew otherwise. Somewhere, in a cash register factory, is a designer who loves video games.
Violence in Video Games
Andrew: The main issue with video games, and we’d be remiss if we didn’t address it, is violence. I don’t see it as any different from violence in movies, however; it will be some time before my daughter will see a violent video game, much as it was for me. We’ll monitor and, more importantly, discuss it once the time comes. As long as she is a well-adjusted human being, there will be no problem. To this day, I kill in video games with abandon but cry during World War 2 documentaries, and cringe when I see NHL goalie Clint Malarchuk’s throat slashed in Youtube videos (don’t click if you’re squeamish). The parent’s responsibility is to provide perspective.
Alex: I agree with Andrew completely. It’s up to the parent to teach their children about context. Normal people don’t run around ripping heads off, but when Kratos encounters a giant cyclops looking to pound him into the ground, well, it seems necessary.
I almost think that games like Resident Evil and God of War aren’t a huge deal for kids. When I was playing through God of War 2, my eight-year-old niece wanted to watch. I discouraged her, and as I began ripping the wings off of a harpy, she quickly went to the other side of the room and played with some toys. Games like that, you can explain with the monsters argument. As a child, I was well aware that monsters were things you killed without prejudice. Games like Grand Theft Auto, on the other hand, we have to look out for. Clearly, at a certain point our children will understand that only bad people throw drivers out of their cars, kick them in the head, and drive off. It’s up to us as parents to figure out when our children are old enough to comprehend that, and to provide the proper context for them.