Certainly there is more to live than video games but some of us make our livings designing them, developing them, playing and writing about them. Who knows; maybe our industrious fifteen-year-old will turn out the same.

There is much more to life than video games.

“However, while reading books as a child doesn’t make one an addict, it could certainly develop skills that will make you more employable and likely improve your chance of succeeding in school.”

Good point, but the truth is we never know what’s going to be the next thing in employment. As it turns out, and not just because I write about games, the Apple IIe my parents got me as a child – and the text based and logic games I played – prepared me quite well for the IT revolution. Orthopedic surgeons claim that video games makes the fine motor and remote control easier. I believe the future will involve a lot of “people doing things remotely” and the games of today are preparing for that future. Also, when you have an entire generation developing a skill at something, that skill tends to lead innovation for the generations to come.

“With that said, my question is whether it is fair to my relatively mature 11 year old to allow him to purchase this game and spend time playing it when he really needs more exercise and less time in front of the tv. Also, will this game contribute to teaching him to minimize the seriousness of ‘war’, particularly when I would be happy for him to serve in the military someday?”

The game is rated for 18 year olds. I think 14 is okay. I MIGHT let my son play something like this at 11, but maybe not. So I can’t recommend it for your son – and especially not for the 9-year old. It won’t warp them but, well, there’s plenty of time for violent games later. As far as “WAR” goes, kids tend know what’s real and what’s not. If anything the game might inspire your son to join the military later – with a better idea of what’s in store.

” Last, his 9 year old brother already thinks he can do anything his brother does,”

OH tell me about it! I think 9 is too young to even watch, but you can’t protect them forever. If you already let him see R-rated stuff – for violence – then this won’t shock him. I still can’t recommend 9 for this one.

Oh yes, the exercise point. I’m betting you have a PS3 or Xbox 360 here, so the range of exercise games is limited. Maybe make him a deal? For every 1/2 he spends exercising somehow – he gets an hour of game time.

This is called “Using their passion against them” and it’s a good compromise, should you go that route. Good luck!

I’m not entirely sure of that. Using as an example this post’s game in question, Modern Warfare 2, the amount of moral and ethical ambiguity in the game pretty much negates this. Games like this are indicative of our postmodernity: the complexity of every aspect of our lives is so vast and unrealizable, the chaos is so thick, that nothing is as simple as win or lose.

Too much of anything is bad for you, video games very much included. Thankfully, as augmented reality becomes more sophisticated, we’ll start to see games that get you off the couch and into the world (for, among other things–heaven forbid!–exercise).

I think the sides polarize the issue. It’s more about the subtle influence and subtle training one undergoes while playing a game.

The notion that everything can be solved from the sofa is a lesson you learn by playing alot of videogames. There’s alot of other more subtle negatives too. EVerything is solvable. Everything is win or lose. Everything is fair and you can win if you just try.

ON the other hand there are positives and games certainly aren’t training you to be a killer. The positives involve hand-eye coordination and fine digit movement. Visual perception. Rudimentary puzzle solving. Teamwork building in more serious mp games.

GAmes can be masturbatory or be very social too.

It seems to me the more you play games the more you’ll get both positive and negative reinforcement. And overall it is most prudent to monitor the time spent on this hobby.

My off-the-cuff in-the-works theory.

Anyway, nice post. (Your copyright notice at the bottom should probably be updated to 2010… it says 2003-2008 right now. Just FYI.)