Uneducated Gaming Parent Syndrome

[WanderingFool]

Thats... not that bad actually. Trust me, I work in games retail, I've seen worse. Much worse.

You'd be amazed at how many parents readily buy their kids violent games. Yes they do need to be educated, and I do my part. I've stopped many-a-kid from getting Halo 3/MW2.

When I say kid I'm talking 7-13.

The kids get pissed, but I don't care. Thats one less violent game in the hands of a kid, one more educated parent, and one less high-voiced kid online. I've done good.

You're a damn hero in my book.

 

[Irridium]

Thats... not that bad actually. Trust me, I work in games retail, I've seen worse. Much worse.

You'd be amazed at how many parents readily buy their kids violent games. Yes they do need to be educated, and I do my part. I've stopped many-a-kid from getting Halo 3/MW2.

When I say kid I'm talking 7-13.

The kids get pissed, but I don't care. Thats one less violent game in the hands of a kid, one more educated parent, and one less high-voiced kid online. I've done good.

And? I played GTA games when I was ten to twelve. I watched R rated movies. Hell, I grew up on raunchy shows like Roseanne and the like. Nothing bad came of it. Nothing bad happened to my sister either.

Sure, you could place this on the fact that I was an exceptionally intelligent child, who at times would put down the PS2 controller and read a book such as Moby Dick and the like of his own volition, but eh. Still. Just because someone is a kid, it doesn't mean they are incapable of handling the subject matter and the like. Of course, the majority of the time you'd be right, but what about the times you're wrong? Then again it doesn't really matter, since in the end the parent would likely know what their child is capable of and tell you to stfu and buy the game anyways.

And honestly, people. Get off this whole I don't want kids playing online games with me because of their voices thing. Trust me. A great deal of people in their late teens and into their twenties still have annoying voices. Hell, probably a few of the people who bring up this argument against kids playing with them have those annoying voices which make me laugh.

Every kid is different. And only the parents know best for their kids. I merely educate them, and most of the time its the parent's choice to not buy the game. Yes there are special cases out there, and most parents act accordingly with what they deem appropriate for their kid. I merely educate them on the ESRB ratings and each games violent content. Its up to the parents to decide if they want to buy it.

Plus, its kind of my job to do this. So yeah.

 

[viranimus]

I do also find it amazing that there are as many people as there are who are ignorant regarding video games.

I buy a LOT of games from a local pawn shop in my area. I was talking to the owner one day, who is only about a year older than me (30). Now I know even living in a country ass place, I was immersed in gaming culture from the cradle.(had a 2600 paddle controller as one of my childhood toys in the crib) Anyway, when I was talking to him, I knew that he had the same 16 copies of various Final fantasy XI & expansion pack titles for the 360. I mentioned this to him and tried to explain to him that buying a used copy of an online exclusive title was practically useless (I know you might be able to use a copy if your disk had broken, but no one in that situation is going to pay 20$ for it when they can get a used copy online for 2-5$ for that purpose) because they require account keys and those keys are useless after they have been consumed. He kinda just nodded along, and the next week I saw 3 more copies added to the stack he hadnt sold.

 

[Skorpyo]

Thats... not that bad actually. Trust me, I work in games retail, I've seen worse. Much worse.

You'd be amazed at how many parents readily buy their kids violent games. Yes they do need to be educated, and I do my part. I've stopped many-a-kid from getting Halo 3/MW2.

When I say kid I'm talking 7-13.

The kids get pissed, but I don't care. Thats one less violent game in the hands of a kid, one more educated parent, and one less high-voiced kid online. I've done good.

+1 point of your choice, sir.

I overhear these conversations all the time, and sometimes I join in politely when I feel that someone is dead wrong. If they're already talking to an employee, then I just stand there and grin.

Same, except for the part with the employee.

For me, it is the same as the latest gadget or piece of computer hardware. Employees routinely spout bullshit when I am nearby, waiting for me to jump in and say that a USB Wi-Fi dongle won't pick up a signal a mile down the goddamn street (rages).

Anyway, OT: I usually aid someone in the store when they don't know what to purchase, for themselves or for their children.

 

[ricodelshaw]

Thats... not that bad actually. Trust me, I work in games retail, I've seen worse. Much worse.

You'd be amazed at how many parents readily buy their kids violent games. Yes they do need to be educated, and I do my part. I've stopped many-a-kid from getting Halo 3/MW2.

When I say kid I'm talking 7-13.

The kids get pissed, but I don't care. Thats one less violent game in the hands of a kid, one more educated parent, and one less high-voiced kid online. I've done good.

And? I played GTA games when I was ten to twelve. I watched R rated movies. Hell, I grew up on raunchy shows like Roseanne and the like. Nothing bad came of it. Nothing bad happened to my sister either.

Sure, you could place this on the fact that I was an exceptionally intelligent child, who at times would put down the PS2 controller and read a book such as Moby Dick and the like of his own volition, but eh. Still. Just because someone is a kid, it doesn't mean they are incapable of handling the subject matter and the like. Of course, the majority of the time you'd be right, but what about the times you're wrong? Then again it doesn't really matter, since in the end the parent would likely know what their child is capable of and tell you to stfu and buy the game anyways.

And honestly, people. Get off this whole I don't want kids playing online games with me because of their voices thing. Trust me. A great deal of people in their late teens and into their twenties still have annoying voices. Hell, probably a few of the people who bring up this argument against kids playing with them have those annoying voices which make me laugh.

Are we a little full of ourselves perhaps?

 

[Blue Musician]

No, if they want to waste their money let them do it.

You question should be "Do parents need to be more educated on what they're buying for their kids so they know what they are buying for their kids?"

And the answer to that is yes. Parents need to do the research on games, or at the very least figure out how ratings work, so that they can buy appropriate games for their children.

That, or at the very least just make sure to keep mics away from the kids...

Basically I got ninjad on this respect. Good job (I mean it).

But other than that, whatever.

 

[StriderShinryu]

This actually reminds me of a good gaming parent scene I witnessed a few months back. This mom and her young son, maybe 10 years old, were in an EB at the same time I was. She goes up to the counter and starts asking the clerk about what sort of content is in GTA4 and whether he thinks it would be appropriate for her son. The clerk, of course, says no and gives her a run down of what's in the game. The mom then basically turns to her son and says "See, that's why you can't have it and you shouldn't have tried to pull one over on me." It seems she had known about the game's content ahead of time and was just proving a point to her son that she was more aware of things than he thought she was.

 

[Mr. Google]

This actually reminds me of a good gaming parent scene I witnessed a few months back. This mom and her young son, maybe 10 years old, were in an EB at the same time I was. She goes up to the counter and starts asking the clerk about what sort of content is in GTA4 and whether he thinks it would be appropriate for her son. The clerk, of course, says no and gives her a run down of what's in the game. The mom then basically turns to her son and says "See, that's why you can't have it and you shouldn't have tried to pull one over on me." It seems she had known about the game's content ahead of time and was just proving a point to her son that she was more aware of things than he thought she was.

Thats how all parents should be

 

[Hashime]

Yes, I was bought "Alone in the Dark" for my wii, even though I have a perfectly good PS3. That game is bad on the PS3, attempting to play on the wii was impossible.

 

[Giest4life]

A couple of weeks back, I was picking Call of Duty 3 (again--my copies keep breaking down) while an 8-10 year-old boy walked in with this mom, and slightly older sister, requesting to pre-order Call of Duty Black Ops. The store associate enthusiastically did his job and told of the great features in the game. While I just stood with my mouth wide open at all the bull crap. Lady, have you seen the rating on that damn game? Or how about you join your son for a session of Xbox Live one day, huh?

Also, speaking of wasting money. I was forced to buy my 8 year-old niece Cats, because the "kittens look[ed] soo cute."

EDIT: I actually didn't pay for the game, my sister-in-law did.

 

[William Dickbringer]

I say let the kids pick and say no if it's out of their rating

 

[blankedboy]

Best solution is to fuck all censorship and see what happens.

 

[Mr. Google]

A couple of weeks back, I was picking Call of Duty 3 (again--my copies keep breaking down) while an 8-10 year-old boy walked in with this mom, and slightly older sister, requesting to pre-order Call of Duty Black Ops. The store associate enthusiastically did his job and told of the great features in the game. While I just stood with my mouth wide open at all the bull crap. Lady, have you seen the rating on that damn game? Or how about you join your son for a session of Xbox Live one day, huh?

Also, speaking of wasting money. I was forced to buy my 8 year-old niece Cats, because the "kittens look[ed] soo cute."

EDIT: I actually didn't pay for the game, my sister-in-law did.

You have COD3 haha what do you even do in it? i just like to play split screen with my friends on it on uhm shoot whats its called oh yeah eder dam its the best map on there we all fight for control of the house

 

[Giest4life]

Thats... not that bad actually. Trust me, I work in games retail, I've seen worse. Much worse.

You'd be amazed at how many parents readily buy their kids violent games. Yes they do need to be educated, and I do my part. I've stopped many-a-kid from getting Halo 3/MW2.

When I say kid I'm talking 7-13.

The kids get pissed, but I don't care. Thats one less violent game in the hands of a kid, one more educated parent, and one less high-voiced kid online. I've done good.

And? I played GTA games when I was ten to twelve. I watched R rated movies. Hell, I grew up on raunchy shows like Roseanne and the like. Nothing bad came of it. Nothing bad happened to my sister either.

Sure, you could place this on the fact that I was an exceptionally intelligent child, who at times would put down the PS2 controller and read a book such as Moby Dick and the like of his own volition, but eh. Still. Just because someone is a kid, it doesn't mean they are incapable of handling the subject matter and the like. Of course, the majority of the time you'd be right, but what about the times you're wrong? Then again it doesn't really matter, since in the end the parent would likely know what their child is capable of and tell you to stfu and buy the game anyways.

And honestly, people. Get off this whole I don't want kids playing online games with me because of their voices thing. Trust me. A great deal of people in their late teens and into their twenties still have annoying voices. Hell, probably a few of the people who bring up this argument against kids playing with them have those annoying voices which make me laugh.

Are we a little full of ourselves perhaps?

Would you guarantee this of everyone else there were to do the same? Your argument is that of two "old timers" I overheard making in a barber shop, "Ah to heck with all these vaccinations and drugs, we turned up fine, why can't these kids?" Really? What about the countless who didn't turn up fine because they weren't vaccinated?

To the same effect, you're saying that this is ok just because you turned up fine, which I don't doubt. Seriously, I don't.

 

[MrJohnson]

I've never had the annoying voice most kids have, and there's an almost equal amount of racists and homophobes that aren't children, and no one on PSN that has a mike.

 

[Giest4life]

A couple of weeks back, I was picking Call of Duty 3 (again--my copies keep breaking down) while an 8-10 year-old boy walked in with this mom, and slightly older sister, requesting to pre-order Call of Duty Black Ops. The store associate enthusiastically did his job and told of the great features in the game. While I just stood with my mouth wide open at all the bull crap. Lady, have you seen the rating on that damn game? Or how about you join your son for a session of Xbox Live one day, huh?

Also, speaking of wasting money. I was forced to buy my 8 year-old niece Cats, because the "kittens look[ed] soo cute."

EDIT: I actually didn't pay for the game, my sister-in-law did.

You have COD3 haha what do you even do in it? i just like to play split screen with my friends on it on uhm shoot whats its called oh yeah eder dam its the best map on there we all fight for control of the house

I played CoD: MW2, I thought it had a decent single-player campaign but I just couldn't bring myself to play it online. CoD 3 is the only game I enjoying playing online--I like TF2, too, but I suck at it too much.

There are quiet a few people that play Call of Duty 3 online, still! If you have Xbox Live, I can prove it to you.

 

[MikailCaboose]

The kids get pissed,... and one less high-voiced kid online. I've done good.

You, good sir, have done a very good deed here. One of the reasons why I sometimes dread going on Xbox Live.

I also feel thankful for growing up with the SNES. I just didn't notice this type of crap (with the stupid parents). Either that or I was just too young to actually realize it in the first place, as long as I had Donkey Kong that is.

 

[Sanguinius- The Angel]

Best case of uneducated parents I have ever seen was this. *Clears throat*

So, I entered an EB because I was looking for a game, [ don't remember WHAT at this point, ] and there was a woman there buying her maybe 14 - 16 year old son Bad Company 2. Now, this kid was utterly spoiled, which was obvious, because he kept spouting about how she HAD to buy him a game, because she said she would buy him a few, and was getting all snooty and pissed off because she didn't want to. ANYWAY, she eventually brought the used copy of BC2 to the cashier, and went to buy it. However, the cashier rung up an EB edge card, because it's actually only five dollars, but when he used it on the purchase, he saved 7, thus saving the woman 2 dollars. However, she just thought he was scamming her, because he rung in something that was saving her money in without telling her. She then went on to rant about the price, demanding to see the receipt because she felt she was being ripped off even though the clerk was just trying to save her money. I was half tempted to join in on that, because she was just freaking out about it.