Welcome to GamerDad: Gaming with Children. My name is Andrew S. Bub - the GamerDad. I've been writing in the games industry for years now and I've devoted the last five to educating parents on gaming issues to critical acclaim. If you're looking for our GamerDad Review Archive click here. Games are fun, kids love them, and they aren't going away. So lets cut through the hype and have a real conversation about the things that matter. Video Games, Virtual Violence, and its supposed effect on children.
Welcome to GamerDad: Gaming with Children. My name is Andrew S. Bub - the GamerDad. I've been writing in the games industry for years now and I've devoted the last five to educating parents on gaming issues to critical acclaim. If you're looking for our GamerDad Review Archive click here. Games are fun, kids love them, and they aren't going away. So lets cut through the hype and have a real conversation about the things that matter. Video Games, Virtual Violence, and its supposed effect on children.
Videogames v. Reading
4 Comments
Posted on August 5th, 2008 by
“Why do you recommend video games when you could be recommending books and reading?”
I’ve gotten this question a few times, mostly from the well-meaning type who maybe tries but probably can’t wrap their head around the attraction of games and gaming. This type is an avid reader and cannot understand why kids seem to be giving up books. Here’s what I tell them:
Ask GamerDad 8/01/08
Posted on August 4th, 2008 by
This week is all about celebrating differences. You ask about the differences between Bioshock and Condemned 2: Bloodshot. And what about Grand Theft Auto IV versus a thieving raccoon? All this and more! Just read on…
Nancy Drew & The Clue Bender Society
Posted on August 4th, 2008 by
Nancy’s DS adventures continue in this simple adventure game for kids around 10 years of age. Once again the ESRB mystifies with their ever-vague “Mild Violence” descriptor but I’m always keen to guess. The game is solid adventure and easy for kids, but way too easy for anyone over 12. Here’s the content review at WhatTheyPlay. Go solve the mystery yourself. I’d give this one a 3 out of 5.
RPGWatch: The Whole Game in My Hand #10
Posted on August 2nd, 2008 by
Late in 2005 some friends at RPGDot came to me with the idea to do summary articles on the state on RPG gaming on the major handhelds. The release of the DS and particularly the PSP had intrigued many RPG fans who were not interested in consoles (wait, that sounds like me!), and so I put together three articles - one for the GBA, one for the DS and the last one for the PSP. The articles were very well received and when RPGWatch launched late in 2006, I was asked to update the state of handheld RPG’s once more. That is how ‘The Whole Game in My Hand’ was born.
It’s Counter-Strike for Kids!
Posted on August 2nd, 2008 by
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I found this at the AVClub’s Videocracy. It takes a while to get rolling but eventually we get Counter-Strike for Kids! a clever parody on today’s gamerparent lifestyle! Take it any way you want. Have a great weekend!
An Uncomfortable Meeting
Posted on August 1st, 2008 by
My speech finished, I stuffed my papers back into their folder, and that into the black backpack at my feet. A small crowd was gathering in front of the podium, parents thanking me, congratulating me, or maybe nursing a question of some kind. It was a typical PTA meeting on the South Side of Milwaukee when I encountered one of “them.” more…
Eschalon Book 1 Price Drop
Posted on July 31st, 2008 by
I know that this sort of thing isn’t really typical here, but I want to show some support for a small developer, one who happens to have created my choice for Indie RPG of the Year for last year. Well, now you can head on over to Basilisk Games and grab this excellent game for Mac, PC or Linux for the low cost of $19.95. It runs great on modest systems, so there is no reason not to try!
Penny-Arcade Expo ‘08 - GamerDad Speaks
Posted on July 31st, 2008 by
Over 40,000 people converge on PAX in Seattle each year and I’m proud to have been a part of that for two years running. Lets make it three, shall we? Yep, it’s time for the next evolution of my Gaming with Children speech and I’ll have a 1500 seat theater to fill on Sunday August 31st at 2:30 PM. Can you make it? If so, today is the last day to pre-register, as seen in this Press Release from the folks at PA. Sorry for the short notice, see you there? Hey, tell a friend, whydoncha?
Civilization Revolution … with Children
Posted on July 30th, 2008 by
Civ? Me and Civ? Yeah, we go a long way back. I still recall the day, just prior to my career in gaming actually, when I stood in the store torn. Should I buy Quake? Or Sid Meier’s Civilization II. The one with the monsters and visceral thrills? Or the one with the pedigree, the elephant on the cover, and the one that looked fiercely, defiantly, and wonderfully beautiful and complex. I came home with both, I’m proud to say.
Retrospective: Unreal (1998 PC FPS)
Posted on July 30th, 2008 by
Given that my first love of gaming is first-person shooters (FPS) based on my love of the original Castle Wolfenstein back on my Apple ][+, it is somewhat surprising that I was ‘late to the party’ on Unreal by nearly a year. But hey, gimme a break - I had a three-month old colicky baby when it was released in late May of 1998. Yes, that is right: Unreal just celebrated its’ tenth birthday! You know what that means? Retrospective time! I am going to take a look at the original game and also touch on the other entries in the series as it has moved to being one of the premier online shooters. more…
