Parents and Your Hobby

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

My 'rents don't understand why I like games, they just know that I do like games, and that it's one of my favourite ways of just passing some time... They used to heavily limit my playing as a kid though, and if there was ever a newspaper article condemning games I would usually find it sitting at my place when I came down for breakfast, but that stopped when I moved out... They are a lot more accomodating now!

I am also an Official XBox Magazine subscriber, and that goes to my parent's house, so they get that I am serious about the hobby now, rather than just thinking I am wasting my time/damaging my health like they used to.

 

[Hjalmar Fryklund]

I have rarely (if ever) run into problems with my folks becuase of the hobby, my dad plays video games on several occasions (he loves Resident Evil 4) where he keeps badgering me for help. My mom prefer not to game, but she has tried out some golf games on occasion (she didn't like them much though).

 

[MetalMagpie]

I remember when I was in my teens that my mum couldn't even watch us (myself and my siblings) playing a racing game because she said it made her feel seasick. The longest I think she's spent watching anyone play a video game was the Christmas we got a dance pad for our PS2. She refused to have a go though.

My dad is a football fan, so my brother made a few attempts to get him playing the Fifa series. (Mainly because my brother was the only person in the house who liked sports games and wanted someone to play with.) My dad was happy to have a go, but just couldn't get the hang of it. So they got a Subbuteo set and played that together instead.

So they both know I like video games and they've patiently listened to me talk about them, but they're not fans themselves.

 

[Baralak]

My mom has no issues with it, in fact, WoW is her main way to spend time (on the $1k gaming PC I built her using our tax return, since her old Windows Vista machine was starting to lag her on raids. I figured built her a beast and she should have any issues with WoW ever again, or any other MMO that catches her eye)

For some reason, she hates WASD and refuses to take the time to remap controls. to this day, she uses the arrow keys to move her around in WoW. She's tried, though, she bought Assassin's Creed and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, but just dropped them when she got frustrated that I told her she'd need to learn WASD or spend some time remapping the controls.


Still, Since I've bought most everything in our living room, from the 40' TV (and the 32' TV mom uses in her room for TV and WoW. I love rent-to-own!) to every game system, Blu-ray, dvd, and game in there, she doesn't mind my gaming at all. Same with me and D&D and Magic and the like (My sister also collects Pokemon cards and plays Guild Wars religiously). Like she explained it to me: "Well, I figure you aren't out in a gang, or out all hours of the night. You don't drink, you don't do drugs, so I figure I must be doing something right."

In fact, her, I, and my sis just got back from seeing The Amazing Spider-Man, and we all really enjoyed it. I also dragged her to the midnight premier of The Avengers and liked bringing up my hobby of collecting Power Rangers to people in line, which got me a surprising amount of high-fives.


Yeah, I love my mom.

 

[SweetShark]

At first when I was younger, my father always had a problem when I was playing a videogame. He was saying all the time that videogames is for littles kids and not for you and something similar. Gladly after few years, my father accepted it and don't say something to me now.

My mother actually play some games that Windows have,se never had a problem with that.

 

[Ryotknife]

my parents always looked at me weird whenever gaming comes up. They believe that i read a lot of books which accounts for my knowledge of history and weaponry and other subjects. But it is videogames that spark my interest in these things. Europa 3, for example, sparked my interest in a few countries i never heard of and research events like the downfall of the Knights Templar.

To this day, they see games as unhealthy. of course, my parents are a bit behind on the times. They just got cable and still use flip phones.

 

[Flizzick]

'Understand' really doesn't describe it, I'd say more like 'tolerate.' Of course my parents 'understand' why I play games, which is why they don't ask questions and simply 'tolerate' them.

What they don't understand is my lack of a job, though I myself ask the same damn question.

 

[Ryotknife]

'Understand' really doesn't describe it, I'd say more like 'tolerate.' Of course my parents 'understand' why I play games, which is why they don't ask questions and simply 'tolerate' them.

What they don't understand is my lack of a job, though I myself ask the same damn question.

ill take the "why dont you have a job" over "why havent you married and had any kids" any day of the week

 

[KINGBeerZ]

my mum's never really been a big fan of videogames, but my dad was actually one of the biggest influences on my gaming in my life. actually when i was 5 and i watched him play through ffix, that was what got me into gaming proper.

 

[RustlessPotato]

My Mum and I have loads of conversations about video games, she doesn't play them, but when I explained that it's far more fun to be in a story than to watch it. Or playing horror games far more fear inducing than films, she really opened up.

My dad LOVED and absolutely LOVED playing Worms:Armageddon with my brother and I. Last game he tried was Counter-Strike Source, but he doesn't really play. He really is accepting of video games.

 

[WitchD0ctor]

They don't really understand it at all, but that didn't stop them from letting me stay home from high school to participate in online game programming contest, so, it worked out

 

[VanQ]

My parents don't care as long as I continue to hold up a full time job and lead a normal adult life outside of games. My mum actually sat and watched me play through a fair bit of Dead Space one time, but I'm pretty sure she was just trying to humour me at the time.
Now, my collection of anime figs on the other hand, they don't really get. But again don't care because it's my money and I can do what I want with it as long as I save enough for rent and food.

 

[Jynthor]

Have any of you ever played an MMO and tried to explain Raids/Instances?
"No, mom, I can't go, other people are depending on me!"
It never ends well.

 

[Nouw]

They don't mind as long as I don't spend too much money on them/buy too many.

 

[rosac]

my parents hated video games when I was truly addicted to them... like seriously 10hours of TF2 a day addicted... Now they're cool with it as I restrict myself and do lots of other stuff outside the house to keep myself busy. My dad also got me into miniature wargames/painting so he understands my warhammer painting, but my mum reckons I should play more sport. Even though I go to the gym regularly and play volleyball at uni.

 

[Dandark]

My parents would prefer that I didn't spend so much time gaming but they don't mind it. They are not against it and although they don't really understand or care about video games, they are not against me playing them and have become more supportive and accepting of my hobby over the years.

 

[Cowabungaa]

My parents really look down upon videogames. Like, a lot. Childish nonsense they call it.

About 8 years ago though I remember playing this strategy game together with my dad called Netstorm: Islands at War. I remember calling him up all giddy when I wrapped up a stage we both couldn't beat for ages. I also got my mum to make a WoW character once, but she got confused after 10 minutes of standing still.

Nowadays though they just shake their heads in silent disapproval. Luckily they don't rage against it as much as they used to but that's because I simply don't play for obscene amounts of time any more. Except for the last couple days because fuck yeah summer holiday.

They do approve of my archery and D&D hobbies.

 

[Fappy]

Have any of you ever played an MMO and tried to explain Raids/Instances?
"No, mom, I can't go, other people are depending on me!"
It never ends well.

Yeah I've gone through that. I tried to explain that it was similar to being on a sports team. She didn't buy it.

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

I've seen similar threads before but not any recently so here we go! Do your parents understand video games, or rather, your particular gaming habits? Last night my step dad sat down and watched me play some Skyrim. Despite playing D&D in high school/college and loving fantasy stories he's never cared for video games and rarely ever watches me play anything. Anyway, I stopped at home to sell some stuff to my character's wife at an earlier point and went on to do some adventuring. During a fight with a dragon I was getting smacked around and many audible female nord grunts were made. He asked me confused, "Who's making those noises? The dragon?"

I laughed, "No, I'm playing a chick." When he asked why I just kind of gave him a cop-out answer, "To mix things up."

It didn't take him all but two minutes to put the equation together and he asked, "When did you switch characters?"

"I didn't."

"You're character's a lesbian?!"

He was very confused and promptly stopped thinking about it. I continued to go about murdering half-awake orcs (Vaermina's quest) and all was good. I can't help but think that he had silently judged me in that moment and couldn't wrap his head around how I had chosen to play the game. Parents are weird like that it seems. They get you, but they don't. Nuances introduced by a generation's culture don't seem to translate well to those that came before.

So yeah, that was an awkward moment to say the least. Any of you guys have any experiences to share?

I'm glad this never happened to me, since not only is my character in skyrim a lesbian, she's also a khajiit married to a nord XD

My mom watched me play GTA: San Andreas some years ago, because the TV I was playing on was in the dining room. She didn't really approve of me playing it, as she could see what was happening (murders and such). She still let me play it, but since I didn't have my own TV in a different room it was always kind of awkward when she was in the room and I tried to not do the worst things then.

It did make for one fun memory though, where I was driving a motorcycle really fast through the city. There were two more people in the room then, other than me and my mom. They said that I should be careful if I was driving that fast. I nonchalantly said that it was no problem, since I had done it before. Then I got hit by a truck and flew off the motorcycle >_> Everyone laughed at me. It was kind of embarrassing when it happened, but it's fun to remember it.