![]() | |
![]() | |
![]() |
Games & Gaming Information |
|
![]() |
A Parents Guide to Online Gaming, Part 1
The internet touches every aspect of your children's lives. Where you might look up an unknown word in a dictionary, your kids are more likely to use dictionary.com. Where you use the telephone, they use instant messenger. An even greater difference can be found in how they play games. Where the games of their parent's generation may have involved a board, cards, or at their most sophisticated a console system, the games your children play on the net can be far more complex. They mine gold, spread empires, fight dragons and aliens alone or with tens, hundreds, even thousands of their fellow gamers. All of this makes for a confusing mish mash of names, places, jargon and lingo that can leave you with no idea what your kids are actually doing and a vague feeling of uneasiness that some part of it might not be good for them. What's appropriate for your kids is a decision only you can make. How much violence they are exposed to, how much time they spend in front of a screen and how much contact they have with the faceless strangers so common to the net are all questions you must grapple with and, in the end, decide for your family. While we can't help you make these rough decisions, we can certainly help you get the information you need to understand your children's hobbies better, both to make informed judgments about what they should and should not be doing, and to help you reach into another part of their lives that may have previously seemed like something of a puzzle box. The Easy Stuff The simplest type of online game is the sort of Flash or Java driven game that you generally see running inside your web browser. This type of game tends to be relatively simple compared to the stand alone games discussed later. Common examples include Bejeweled, Zuma, and Diner Dash. These games are almost universally single player and have none of the sort of violent or mature content that keeps parents up at night. Were they movies, they would be G Rated, with perhaps the occasional game stretching to PG. If this is the type of game your kids are into then first, be relieved. Then, try the game out. Many of these games can be very enjoyable for even the most casual of players. Some, such as Bookworm, even have genuine educational content. These games can be as much an opportunity for bonding and learning as throwing around a baseball in the backyard, and have the added bonus of being much easier to get your kids to sit down with you and play. FPSs: Finding Something to Shoot. FPS stands for First Person Shooter. They are First Person in the same since that a story might be. That is, the player sees the world through the eyes of a single character and interacts with the game environment as though he were that character. Shooter comes from the primary goal of most such games, the shooting of whatever happens to be the bad guy. FPS games are among some of the most popular online. Common examples include Doom, Battlefield:1942, and the X-Box game Halo. From a parental perspective, these games can be cause for concern. They vary widely in the amount of realism, degree of violence, language, and general attitude. The only way to get a good idea of the content issues is to watch the particular game. If your kids don't want you watching while they play, then fire up the game yourself sometime when they aren't around. There is a sizeable variation in how violent and how personal FPS content can be from game to game. The single player portion of Halo, for example, has players fighting against alien invaders with largely energy weapons and a minimum of realistic human suffering. In contrast, WWII themed games tend to go out of their way to show realistic violence. Given the subject matter, this is appropriate for the game, but may not be for your kids. Online play presents a potentially greater concern. The goal of online FPS games is almost always killing other players. While some games do have various modes where this is a secondary goal, all of them give the player a gun and encourage him to use it on characters representing other people. Simulated gore and the use of violence against others to achieve goals may be things you don't want your kids exposed to. Again, these are your decisions to make, but we encourage you to make them with as much information as possible. Talk to your kids. Find out what they think, in their words, is going on in the game. Make sure they see the line between what happens in the game and what happens in the real world, between what it's okay to simulate and what it's okay to do. The answers may surprise you. If your children understand the differences, see real violence as deplorable and simulated violence as part of the game then FPS games, even online ones, can be a perfectly healthy way to have fun and let off steam. In the end, it falls on you to make sure that what your child gets out of the game is good for him or her. Next time, we'll talk about RTS and MMORPG, the two other common types of commercial online game and touch on the twin demons of addiction and predation. Steve is a member of the GrandMatrix team. They provide a broad range of games and puzzle articles and reviews. Read more articles and play the latest PC games for free plus thousands of user submitted puzzles, quizzes and word games at: http://www.grandmatrix.com
MORE RESOURCES: 11 things to know about Kimmie McKinney Photography Stephenville Empire-Tribune Glynn Academy photography club hosting contest | Local News Brunswick News Terra Linda photographer keeps an eagle eye on birds Marin Independent Journal Locals win big in statewide photography contest The Patriot Ledger Speaking to the Future: How the Photographer John Edmonds Captures ‘the Real and the Imagined’ The New York Times 1854 Media: harnessing our heritage for a new age of photography British Journal of Photography Five creative ways to use an umbrella in your photography Popular Photography 20 photographs of the week | Art and design The Guardian An Interiors Photographer Shares His Favorite Images of the Decade The New York Times THROUGH THE LENS: The fast track from novice to winning photographer — Bill Wages The Union of Grass Valley Photography In The National Parks: My Favorite Spots For Great Photos National Parks Traveler Tehran center to review Qajar era photography Tehran Times Finalists of Downtown Long Beach Unfiltered Photography Contest on display at Fingerprints Music Signal Tribune Visual currency: Memorable moments in 20th century photography The Irish Times Dublin photography hot spots to discover in 2020 IrishCentral Here's how the rich and famous did Dallas — the way one photographer saw it The Dallas Morning News Republicans Got a Photographer Thrown Out of the Impeachment Hearings. He Didn't Break Any Rule. Mother Jones In the galleries: An ambitious collage of works by regional photographers The Washington Post First light has a special electricity for photographers, wildlife-watchers and others Minneapolis Star Tribune Weekender | The photographer: A short story: Part two of The quartet Daily Californian International Center of Photography Readies January Reopening at Essex Crossing with Ginormous Photo Display Bowery Boogie Hungry eyes: a new exhibition explores the history of food photography The Dallas Morning News How to Get Better at Street Photography PetaPixel Photographer leaves Judiciary hearing after being accused of taking photos of member notes | TheHill The Hill RI resident shows photographs at NK Bank RI branch Ricentral.com Carrizo's last stand: A rescued cat from Arizona and the Alaska photographer who can't save him this time Anchorage Daily News The cold hard truth about Instagram for photographers DIYphotography What to Give: Books on Photography Wall Street Journal VIDEO: B.C. photographers share incredible footage of the elusive coastal wolf PrinceGeorgeMatters.com St Mary's County Camera Club Announces End Of Year Winning Photographs The Southern Maryland Chronicle Turn your photography skills into a side hustle Popular Photography Local photographer captures elderly animals in new book The Salem News This photographer finds absurd shapes and optical illusions he hopes break the stereotypical vision of what it’s like working in an office Washington Post The winners of the Nikon Small World photography contest show unseen beauty of the world ZME Science Phone app by Twin Cities real estate photographer aims to upgrade amateur house photos Minneapolis Star Tribune Murray Bowles, punk rock photographer featured on Green Day’s ‘Dookie’ album cover, dead at 68 San Francisco Chronicle The Complete Guide to Travel Photography Condé Nast Traveler The best action sports photographs of the year Popular Photography Photographs are about stories, not gigabytes – meet IT professional and photographer Mithun Prabhu YourStory 'Polar Express' train nearly runs over photographer in Shiawassee County Detroit Free Press Photographer sues Detroit Athletic Club, alleging sexual harassment by supervisor Detroit Free Press This DC Photographer Captured 'The Last Of Chocolate City' In Powerful Black-And-White Vignettes DCist |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
RELATED ARTICLES
A Parents Guide to Online Gaming, Part 2 In part 1 we talked about online gaming and your children, including FPS games and exposure to violent content. We wrap up this week by talking about RTS games, MMORPGs and the additional threats of addiction and social predators. Full Version Pocket PC Games For Free Play Games InsteadDo you like your full version pocket pc games free? Most people do. The world of freeware downloads for your pda or pocket pc is wide and varied. A Parents Guide to Online Gaming, Part 1 The internet touches every aspect of your children's lives. Where you might look up an unknown word in a dictionary, your kids are more likely to use dictionary. Solitaire RULES Half Life DROOLS It's a popularity contest.Solitaire is hip, cool, and way more popular than Half Life 2. Increasing Rates of Climb in Fighter Aircraft Like the New Joint force Strike Fighter We know from studying aircraft like the F-8 Crusader, in which my dad had the fortunate to fly while in the US Navy stationed in Puerto Rico, that when the wind was tilted upward on the aircraft that it had a lower takeoff speed and much higher initial rates of climb. At which point the wing came back to position and it was a pencil shaped rocket with wings. Why We Play Games, Part 1 There exists some ephemeral quality that separates gamers from the rest of humanity, some thing that makes us, us and them, not us. I've never been able to quite put my finger on it, but it is inescapably there. Downloadable Game Review: Diner Dash Playvue.com Editor's Rating: 8. Improving Spelling with Games You got it! You can do just about any type of learning for a child or an individual learning a second language through the use of various computer games. You are sure to find something that will fit with their needs. Free Pocket PC Casino Game Casino Gambling Wherever You LikeAre you absolutely crazy about pocket pc gaming? One of the very best things about pocket pc casino games is that nearly all of them are free games. There is a free pocket pc casino game everywhere you look on the Internet. Sapphire Tipped UAVs for Midair Collisions to Defeat Enemy UAV Swarm Threats Defeating enemy UAV Swarms will be a challenge for our Net-Centric Blue Force Team. When our enemy launches 1000 UAVs at our forces in the battlespace, will we be able to shoot them all down? The answer is most likely no. Ten Things You Should Know in Video Games BloodRayne | It's Zero Hour | Midasplayer | The latest in online gaming | Computer GamesYou are not an hardcore person in playing video Games and if you want to know the facts which I set hereunder, there are many attraction in playing video which I may share an idea to those wish to play video games:1. Two giant video games company, that is ATARI and SEGA having its own unique historical. Rent Games Online Renting video games online has exploded in recent months! I for one am thrilled to see this available to me and my family. Over the summer it was my sanity saver! Why you ask? Well simply because for an affordable price I can rent unlimited games online and have them sent to my door. Why We Play Games, Part 2 Last week we started to get into the motivation of the gamer. We discussed challenge and its ugly stepsister competition, two of the most common motivators. Best Space Themed Games - Part I Space? How much we can place where? Incredible words, unknown planets, fantastic creatures.But now I want to tell you about some space themed computer shareware games, and want you to play it - I choose only best 19 games from about 200!Here you can find 10 shooters with each of it's own unique gameplay, 5 puzzles, some with actions twists, 2 strategy and 2 actions and 1 arkanoid. The Future of Video Games I've recently been thinking about where video games could be going in the future. I'm hoping to work in the game industry one day after I've finished university study and I've been wondering about it a lot. Rome Total War: Battle Strategy Guide A. FormationsIt's pretty much common sense to come up with a good formation for your army but the basic idea in most situations is to have your infantry in front, ranged units behind, cavalry protecting the flanks and your general right behind the infantry. Halo 2 Multiplayer Tips for Beginners and Advanced players Here are some general tips from an advanced player for all of you who are looking for an edge in this game. You may know some or all the things in this article depending on your skill level. The Story Behind OpenSimcity I've always liked to play SimCity since I was little. I used to play the version for Super Nintendo for hours then and then. Securing Your Accounts With Well-Crafted Passwords In the past I've never really paid much attention to security issues when it comes to user names and passwords. Frankly I figured it was all a lot of overblown hype. The Game Tester It's not easy to be a hardcore gamer. It's hard. ![]() |
home | site map |
© 2006 |