As I have explained in previous posts, I purchased an Xbox360 a few months ago. I bought it because i wanted to buy a new computer to be able to handle some of the newer games coming out. It has been more than 4 years since we bought our last desktop computer. So B suggested that I purchase an Xbox in lieu of a new computer since all I wanted the new computer for was to play games. (I knew she was smart but her logic was flawless on this one)
I immediately purchased Halo 2 and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. These are what are commonly referred to as first person or third person shooter games. You know, you are walking down a hall and something jumps out at you and you fire the weapon in your hand in hopes of killing it.
What you may not know is that these games have an online component to them. A place that you can connect over the internet to play other people with the same game. The online version of the game differs slightly from the single player version of the game in that you can usually play with a group of online gamers to accomplish a task or basically just kill each other.
Some of these games are pretty intense in their reality and life like game play. Some of the games have almost realistic body parts exploding when shot. Blood seemingly splatters in your face.
So what don't your kids want you to know about these games.
Secret #1: The age of children being allowed to play this game online is utterly shocking. I have been online and played against 8 year old kids. There are rated R movies that you would not allow your 8 year old child to see and yet you are letting them play these games. If you are a parent of a child that owns a gaming system BE SURE to research the games they play BEFORE they purchase them. If you visited the http://www.gearsofwar.com web site I highly doubt you would have allowed your child to play this game.
Secret #2: Even if you are going to allow your child to play the game, be sure you are aware of their online playing habits. What you don't realize is that there are people all over the world playing these games online. I am 38 years old. That means there are people as much as 30 years older than some of these kids PLAYING WITH YOUR KIDS, TALKING TO YOUR KIDS. I am no danger to your kids but I can't speak for everyone.
Secret #3: Think of how you were when you first moved out of your parents house? Remember what it was like to live in a world where you could do whatever or say whatever you wanted and your parents would never know? The world of online gaming is a place that your kids are using as their first exposure to that life. What am I talking about? Well let me explain it to you another way. Here are some of the actual conversations I have heard or seen occur between gamers online.
"Hey does anyone want to have cybersex?"
"You suck at this game as much as your mom sucked me last night"
And for the occasional female that chooses to play in this largely male teenage dominated world..."(girl talking)....Boy you really blew my head off with that shotgun...(boy speaking)...not as much as you will blow my head off.....etc....you get the point"
So why do I play in this world if all this garbage is being spewed out during game play? The main reason is that I avoid playing with people that would talk this way. Online gaming gives me an outlet to play with a group of people that enjoy playing the same game I do. I don't have anyone living around me that wants to play these games as often as I would. So I enjoy the comeraderie with these people.
Just beware that there is a sub culture that operates within your child's bedroom and you don't even know it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment