![]() | |
![]() | |
![]() |
Games & Gaming Information |
|
![]() |
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. RTS stands for Real Time Strategy. Strategy because these games generally take a much larger perspective, casting the player as a general or commander of an army or even the leader of a civilization rather than as a single person. Real Time because the action moves forward whether the player acts or not. The alternative to Real Time is turn-based strategy, where each player moves in turn, taking whatever time they need. Turn based games tend to have deeper strategic components and complex non-military progressions that make them less popular with children. RTS games are a relatively benign genre, as they abstract the violence and conflict out to at least the unit level, removing much of the graphic gore found in FPS games and reducing it to numbers and lost units. They also tend to have complicated decision structures, making playing them a good exercise in critical thinking. Those same quick, complex decisions make this type of game difficult to look away from, particularly if the player is competing online where there may not be a pause button. Due to the less graphic content, this type of game doesn't require as intense parental scrutiny as some others may, but it's a good idea at least to casually observe a game and possibly to learn what the loading screen looks like so you can tell when "Just a minute" means "I'm in the middle of something," and when it means "I just don't want to do whatever you want me to do." MMORPG stands for Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game. They are descended from older, single player, RPGS. In this context, an RPG is a game that tells an evolving story using characters defined by various skills, attributes, and professions. The Massively Multiplayer part of the name comes from the fact that there can be upwards of several thousand players in a game world that may have surface area to rival small states. It is difficult to express how large and complicated these games can be. Accept that your children will talk about things you don't understand, often about equipment or items they've acquired or battles they've fought. Put on your best "That's nice dear" face and let it go. While it never hurts to try out the games your children play, you wont get nearly as much benefit from logging on to a MMORPG for a bit to see what its like, as they require a sizeable time investment to even get a feel for what's going on. That time investment gives rise to one of the biggest problems with MMORPGs. A gaming writer once suggested that MMORPG should be pronounced Morgue, because once you go in, you never come out. If your children are starting to get heavily into this type of game, watch how they spend their time. The game will always present something new to do, some greater hill to climb, and it can be easy to get caught up. Talk with your kids, make sure they know the limits on how much of their time they can spend playing, and what they need to get done first. That said; understand that they are often going to be playing the game with other people, to whom they may have made some degree of commitment. Be flexible and use your judgment when deciding whether to let them keep playing. Generally, it's better not to let them start if you aren't sure then to try to get them to stop once they've begun. Lean toward get your homework done first over quit in time to get your homework done. Playing a game with thousands of others will expose your children to a wide variety of people. Most of them will be harmless, some will be helpful and a few will likely come to be good friends. However, there are a select few with malicious intent, just as there are in any large group. The fear here is much like that felt in letting your children use chat rooms or instant messaging service. The good news is that the type of real social predator parents fear are far less likely to in a game world, because the game itself is much more complicated than simply logging on to a chat room. Make sure your kids know that the danger exists, that they shouldn't let anyone know anything more than generalities about whom they are outside the game, that there are bad people in the world. Ask them about their friends online, see what they know about them, watch for the same warning signs you would with any stranger that spends a lot of time with your kids. Again, most players are harmless or better, but you're far better off being informed and watchful than complacent and hopeful. We've barely touched the surface of the possibilities of online gaming, but hopefully you are better informed about what your children may be doing. Gaming is as good as any hobby and better than many. It has a lot of positive developmental benefits, but as with any activity out of your control there are things to watch for. Make clear, knowledgeable decisions about what's right with your kids and stick to them. In the long run, they'll thank you for it. 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 GrandMatrix Free Game Downloads
MORE RESOURCES: 3 ways to improve your portrait photography Digital Camera World 30 cameras that changed the world of photography Digital Camera World Light Painting Photography: A Basic Beginner's Guide MUO - MakeUseOf Laguna Art Museum Spotlights The Lost Art Of PHOTOGRAPHY & SEDUCTION: WILLIAM MORTENSEN'S LAGUNA BEACH Broadway World In plain view: When a camera isn’t a photographer’s only tool The Boston Globe How photography helped me understand my Blackness Popular Photography Pelton Photography to host grand opening Thursday | News | theprogressnews.com - Clearfield Progress Pelton Photography to host grand opening Thursday | News | theprogressnews.com Clearfield Progress Factory Works Photo Lab presents black and white darkroom photography one-day workshop NorthcentralPa.com Zoom in: national science week prize puts photography under the microscope – in pictures The Guardian Light Work Presents ‘Caribbean Dreams’ by Brooklyn-Based Photographer Samantha Box Syracuse University News Photography exhibit celebrates Oregon State Parks on its 100th anniversary Oregon Public Broadcasting Overlooked Black photo collective influenced a new generation Los Angeles Times Today's Photo From Ted Grussing Photography: Are Creatures In The Wild Capable Of Jealousy Sedona.biz Your Work Deserves a .photography Domain PetaPixel David Low's New Book, Picturing the Ottoman Armenian World: Photography in Erzerum, Harput, Van and Beyond, Just Published by I.B. Tauris The Armenian Mirror-Spectator Hagemeyer photography celebrates 35 years | News | sent-trib.com Sentinel-Tribune US Copyright Office sides with photographer in Warhol infringement case Popular Photography Photographer Wayne Suggs has show opening Aug. 20 at Farm and Ranch Museum Las Cruces Bulletin Photoshoot crew: What do wardrobe stylists do? DIYphotography Photographer Barry Butler's Chicago Photos To Be Shown At Navy Pier Exhibit Block Club Chicago Engineers repurpose 19th-century photography technique to make stretchy, color-changing films MIT News 3 Real Estate Photography Tips to Make Your House (and Listing) Shine Better Homes & Gardens Here’s how the Instagram algorithm suggests posts Popular Photography Learn how to photograph fall colors, enter a baby in a photo contest Wooster Daily Record Leica Camera Offers Photography Experience to LA Teens in Partnership with Wembley to Soweto Foundation vmagazine.com Photography’s Delightful Obsessives The New York Times 6 Great Websites for Finding Photography Inspiration MUO - MakeUseOf PCCUA in Stuttgart to hold beginner photography class Stuttgart Daily Leader Grainery: the new Instagram rival for film photographers DIYphotography Twitter Blasts Photographer Annie Leibovitz For Dimly Lit Portraits of Ketanji Brown Jackson Black Enterprise Photography: Joyce Manor, Oso Oso, Citizen and PHONY at Union Transfer getalternative.com This camera lets you choose what to photograph—and ignores the rest Popular Photography "Best UFO Photograph Ever Taken" Released After 30 Years ComicBook.com Dan Desmond: Photography an inspiration The Union Morning Sentinel photojournalist Seamans named top photographer in the region Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel Kentfield photographer explores the serious business of play Marin Independent Journal National Science Week 2022: Evolution of crime scene photography Australian Federal Police Zenfolio introduces PhotoRefine.ai, Artificial Intelligence that helps photographers sort, group and select photos GlobeNewswire Joe Burrow SI Cover: How photographer Jeffery A. Salter captured the star Bengals QB Sports Illustrated VanceAI Upscales Wildlife Photography Images Programming Insider ViewSonic Kicks off the 2022 ColorPro Award to Capture "Breakthrough" in Photography and Digital Art Yahoo Finance Alexandria History Museum Hosts Closing Reception for Nina Tisara Photography Exhibit Aug. 24 The Zebra Wedding photography never worked out for me – Calhoun County Journal Online Calhoun County Journal 8 Simple Photography Genres for Beginners to Try MUO - MakeUseOf Camera club to host photographer/traveler Dick Gotschall The Independent Video: Lightspeed! Webb cruises through space to a galaxy far away Popular Photography Dean Of Chattanooga Photographers A.W. Judd Was Among Early Residents Of Cameron Hill The Chattanoogan How to Shoot Shadow Photography: 9 Essential Tips MUO - MakeUseOf The new Photography in Boston 'Ans Production' plans to GlobeNewswire High Speed Photography Captures Water Droplets My Modern Met The Global Computational Photography Market grew USD 32.41 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 18.43%. Yahoo Finance What Do Photographers Want in Cameras? It’s Really Not Difficult The Phoblographer Seven big photography struggles and how to solve them DIYphotography |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
RELATED ARTICLES
The Game Tester It's not easy to be a hardcore gamer. It's hard. How to Write a Business Plan While Playing BizTech 2.0 is an entrepreneur education program offering business assistance to students over 13. 10 Innovative Game Features Watch yourself struggle, sweat, collapse as you turn your video game console into a personal trainer.Here are ten ways the latest development by Eye-Toy technology is doing away with the couch-potato stigma that's commonly attached to gaming, and developing the hottest new innovation moving the video game industry right now. You Dont Have To Be Rich To Be A PC Gamer There is a common misconception that you have to take out a second mortgage on your house if you want to get a computer that will run all of the latest and greatest games. I don't know who started the rumor that you need to spend $3000 to get a gaming computer. Virtual Wrapping Paper and E-Gifts- Is There Really An Online Santa? The internet has proven to be an amazing delivery conduit for words, information, music, pictures and generally anything that can be turned into little 1s and 0s. As we approach the end of the year the question is asked "Can the Internet deliver my Christmas presents?" Now thanks to a remarkable innovation at www. UAV GeoBat Balloon Radar Decoy Strategies A GeoBat small UAV might be the perfect platform for an enemy radar decoy and disruption balloon concept. A swarm of GeoBat UAVs could be hand launched and sent into enemy territory and travel using tiny amounts of fuel. Directional Afterburners for Tighter Turns, Vertical Flight and Agility Directional Thrusters can increase the maneuverability of just about any modern jet fighter.http://www. Xbox vs. PS2 Game Consoles There has been a great deal of discussion regarding the two most popular gaming consoles currently on the market: Playstation 2 (PS2) and Xbox. PS2 is a Sony product, while Xbox is owned by the software giant Microsoft. Ingredients For A Great Game There are millions of computer games out there on the market, how do you make your game best selling? What features have to be included? I have taken a look on previously best sellers trying to determine what makes a great game.Set the player in focusThe player wants to be in focus in the game, he or she wants to feel that he can control the outcome of the game. Rent Games Online for the Kids It's risky business allowing your children to play games online. I know that may sound funny but I have a good argument to back up my opinion. $20 Buys a Lot of Game These Days Watching the evolution of sports games has been like watching a retarded child grow up to become a handsome and brilliant Master of the Universe. Now I'm not saying ESPN's NBA 2K5 is the pinnacle of sports gaming, but I will tell you why it comes pretty damn close - especially for all of us basketball fanatics. Review: Samurai Jack -- Code of the Samurai Fans of Genndy Tartakovsky's "Samurai Jack," which wrapped last year on the Cartoon Network, enjoy the quirky storytelling and stunning visuals, also the martial arts sequences. Naturally, it was only a matter of time before the online gaming industry turned the time-traveling samurai's adventures into video games. 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. SMS Gaming - Text Paging Games that can be Played by Anyone Using the Physical World as a Game Board: This is not a Kinky game! SMS stands for Short Message Service.Just like our last article, this can be fun for teens and adults. Zuma Deluxe Style Games Evolution As I think most of gamers who play in shareware games know game called Zuma Deluxe. This game was extremly popular some time ago and still popular now. Best of British: Gizmondo Doomed To Fail? The Gizmondo combined media player, phone and gaming gadget went on sale in the last month for £229. The device sports an impressive spec: - It can be used to play games, music tracks and movies, it can take and store digital photos and can send SMS, MMS and emails, GPS, GPRS and Bluetooth for multi-player gaming. 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. 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. A Look at the Sony PlayStation 3 At the recent E3 gaming Convention, Sony gave the world a first look at the new Playstation 3, Sony's contribution to the next generation gaming consoles. Much like the news surrounding the Nintendo Revolution, the Playstation 3 has been immersed in mystery and controversy for the last several years. Classic Fragfest: Quake III Arena As graphics technology improves in leaps and bounds for the next pc generation, more and more gamers expect, and more or less demand, new and innovating concepts to blow their mind. However, there are some games out there that simply stand the test of time for pure entertainment. ![]() |
home | site map |
© 2006 |