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- PabloIV, on 06/13/2008, -8/+3Requiem: any musical service, hymn, or dirge for the repose of the dead.
I don't think that word means what you think it means.- jpotell, on 06/13/2008, -3/+8If you RTFA you'd see that in fact he does know what it means and uses it appropriately.
- lolinyerface, on 06/13/2008, -0/+1INCONCEIVABLE!
- deslock, on 06/17/2008, -0/+1You have to get to the second page of the article to understand why he uses it. I thought the same thing at first but keep reading please.
- post3r3r, on 06/13/2008, -0/+6My dad and I worked our way diligently through Baldur's Gate. A bonding experience that will always be remembered.
- bethlee, on 06/13/2008, -7/+2But Requiem sounds good. =o)
- j0hnk377y, on 06/13/2008, -0/+3It's about time, one on one time, not particularly video games. Take a walk together, go fishing, go hiking, go camping, get outdoors and get some sunlight.
- dxgg, on 06/13/2008, -0/+4Yeah, it's about spending time together...it's also about working through a puzzle, encouraging the child to think in different ways, laughing together, learning how to lose (and win) gracefully, picking yourself up and trying again, and learning from each other. Parenting should *never* be a one-way street.
- nocash23, on 06/13/2008, -8/+1"think in different ways" like playing video games is something they dont do every day. "laughing together" people actually do that? it seems to me they sit there like zombies and stare blankly at a screen, wrapped in a world that leaves room for no outside interference. "picking yourself up and trying again" doesn't that entail actually getting up off the couch or i guess, like a gamers life, its "figurative". "learning from each other". learning what? that dad wastes as much brain space as the kid? I've yet to figure out the importance of "learning" by video game since there's no real world application of it, and don't give me the "critical thinking" line because everyone knows that's crap. bonding over video games is for half ass parents that can only interact with their kids in front of a screen.
bury away...- Syraxis, on 06/13/2008, -1/+4"I've yet to figure out the importance of "learning" by video game since there's no real world application of it, and don't give me the "critical thinking" line because everyone knows that's crap."
That's just like saying what's the point of a dad going outside to play catch with his son, there's no real world application of that but people do it anyway. It's about spending time with your kids in an activity that both can enjoy. - BoomShake007, on 06/13/2008, -1/+3I wish I could bury you a thousand times for ignorance.
- dxgg, on 06/13/2008, -1/+2You're thinking in extremes...as though I was even solely referring to video games in my reply. I wasn't.
- warplayer, on 06/13/2008, -1/+1I wish besides thumbs up or down, there was a large red X that just killed the person.
- MsArtGeek, on 06/13/2008, -1/+1I wouldn't call games good for critical thinking, but they are good for many kinds of learning - problem solving, simulations of complex systems, trial and error, learning how to exploit systems of rules for maximum benefit.
Look into the work of Seymour Papert, Richard Bartle, James Paul Gee and David WIlliamson Shaffer for more info on the short-sightedness of your above remarks. - nocash23, on 06/13/2008, -1/+1"That's just like saying what's the point of a dad going outside to play catch with his son, there's no real world application of that but people do it anyway. It's about spending time with your kids in an activity that both can enjoy."
no going outside and playing catch means you are using critical thinking, hand eye, coordination, the use of otherwise unused muscles, talking, etc.
"I wish besides thumbs up or down, there was a large red X that just killed the person."
typical reasoning by someone who lives in the fantasy world that is encouraged by video games.
Seymour Papert-created a computer programming language that allowed kids to think and solve problems for themselves. his work on Constructivism states that learning happens most effectively when people are actively making things in the real world. key words being REAL WORLD.
Richard Bartle-nothing i can find on him relates to anything i said. what in particular do you find issue with? the man came up with the first multi-user dungeon and pioneered the multiplayer online game industry. i cant see where he's argued for or against games being good for learning.
James Paul Gee- has only been "researching" learning through video games for 3 years. his research sounds more like an angle to sell books or at best an account of one man's love for video games. his test subjects were himself, LAN parties on campus, his students and boards on gaming sites. he needs a little help with his scientific method if you ask me and his background in linguistics doesnt qualify him in this field anymore than you or i. i do agree with him on one point though he says "Kids should also be fully engaged in other tasks, like drawing, writing, and social activities."
David WIlliamson Shaffer- does studies on epistemic games. these are computer and video games in which players become professionals (such as engineers, urban planners, journalists, lawyers etc.) to develop innovative and creative ways of thinking. completely different than just about every game on the market. these are tailored for learning. - MsArtGeek, on 06/16/2008, -1/+1Richard Bartle also did a writing that is commonly referred to by gamers and scholars on different games player personalities, the idea being that different players get different things from games. Imagine, there are people out there, and many of them are different than you, and want/get different things from an experience. Challenging!
James Paul Gee's first book dealing with video games is 2003, one can assume he didn't start researching them that year. So that's at least fives years, on top of plenty of other academic work. Gee asserts out in one of his books that games don't even need to be strictly educational in order to have cognitive benefits, and that there's a lot of dynamic thinking involved even in shooter games. Seymour Papert, who you seem to think would argue against this point, glowingly endorses Gee's work. Next.
Shaffer emphasizes epistemic games, but many games will encourage creative and dynamic thinking, even ones that you dismiss as being not educational. From Mario Kart to Civilization, there's plenty to learn if you are open to it, and even if you don't realize it's happening.
So it doesn't prepare you for a job as a corporate cog. So what? This is what people do for fun, and for spending time together, and the cognitive bonuses are just that, a bonus.
- Syraxis, on 06/13/2008, -1/+4"I've yet to figure out the importance of "learning" by video game since there's no real world application of it, and don't give me the "critical thinking" line because everyone knows that's crap."
- nocash23, on 06/13/2008, -8/+1"think in different ways" like playing video games is something they dont do every day. "laughing together" people actually do that? it seems to me they sit there like zombies and stare blankly at a screen, wrapped in a world that leaves room for no outside interference. "picking yourself up and trying again" doesn't that entail actually getting up off the couch or i guess, like a gamers life, its "figurative". "learning from each other". learning what? that dad wastes as much brain space as the kid? I've yet to figure out the importance of "learning" by video game since there's no real world application of it, and don't give me the "critical thinking" line because everyone knows that's crap. bonding over video games is for half ass parents that can only interact with their kids in front of a screen.
- dxgg, on 06/13/2008, -0/+4Yeah, it's about spending time together...it's also about working through a puzzle, encouraging the child to think in different ways, laughing together, learning how to lose (and win) gracefully, picking yourself up and trying again, and learning from each other. Parenting should *never* be a one-way street.
- Me0wmix, on 06/13/2008, -0/+3Yeah... I just saw my dad playing super smash bros a couple days ago.
- NatashaUK, on 06/13/2008, -0/+3The makers of the Wii caught on to this and have made its video game more about 'family fun' - and even though I am a grown female I love to relax and play some video games with friends. It can evolve into a family sport
- LuxFX, on 06/13/2008, -0/+5Playing games is a great way of spending time with each other, even with little kids. I have a great time playing games with my son, and even though he just turned four two weeks ago he gets a lot out of it too. He's pretty good at learning games that don't require any reading -- he started playing mario kart on the DS about nine months ago I think, is completely self-taught (no instruction manual or anything, I didn't do anything other than hand him the DS), and now comes in 1st place in all of his races (50cc of course). My wife and I have actually, through watching him play, learned how to time our own slides around the turns better! My son and I have been playing Mario Kart on the Wii lately and he hasn't quite got the hang of splitscreen multiplayer yet, but he'll still occassionally come in somewhere in the 4th-8th range, but mostly we just have a lot of fun! I usually throw my Super Smash Bros. matches against him, but it's still fun just playing with him and watching him learn the game. With most single player games like Super Mario Galaxy he just likes to sit with me and watch me play, and cheer me on. We have a great time together.
- br0ck, on 06/13/2008, -0/+2I highly recommend Lego Star Wars as an excellent co-op game for a parent and young kid, especially once you unlock free play and the cheats like invincibility and exploding ammo. Also, maybe you noticed, but in Mario Kart, you can play on teams and if you put yourselves both on the same team your ammo won't hurt each other, so you can hang back and work together to help each other win.
- LuxFX, on 06/13/2008, -0/+1Thanks -- we finally did try the team play and use that most of the time. I say most because my son usually insists on first controller so he can have menu control. hehe I'll have to try the Lego Star Wars, I hadn't realized it had a co-op mode!
- br0ck, on 06/13/2008, -0/+2I highly recommend Lego Star Wars as an excellent co-op game for a parent and young kid, especially once you unlock free play and the cheats like invincibility and exploding ammo. Also, maybe you noticed, but in Mario Kart, you can play on teams and if you put yourselves both on the same team your ammo won't hurt each other, so you can hang back and work together to help each other win.
- Tarale, on 06/13/2008, -0/+12That was a very interesting, but sad article. I agree that parents can bond with their children over video games. I'm sure it's different now than it was when I was a child (laughing at my Dad screaming at Wolfenstein 3D, or asking me for help with WOWspill) but I remember the whole family taking turns at games like Elevator or Digger on the PC in the 1980s.
As for the use of the word "Requiem", I recommend that you read the article, you'll see why that word is used. :( - dxgg, on 06/13/2008, -0/+6This article really hit home for me...no, I my son hasn't died, but his mom and I divorced a few years ago and I'm only able to see him once a year because of the long distance we are from each other. We keep in touch often (thank god for Skype/webcams), and a lot of our shared memories are based on the game playing we did together. We have a very strong connection and a great relationship...and I miss him very much...and while I don't credit that relationship to gaming, there is no doubt that it added another level of bonding that really could not have been replicated in any other way.
- Tarale, on 06/13/2008, -0/+3Do you play online with your son?
Not that I'm sure which games to suggest (I don't do much online gaming), but if you talk to your son a lot over Skype and such, then maybe you can play games too. :)- dxgg, on 06/13/2008, -0/+2He lives in Europe (I'm in the US), and his internet access is limited...so serious online gaming isn't a possibility. We do play Skype chess, though. :)
- LoopyChew, on 06/13/2008, -0/+2Europe/US gaming is feasible, if a bit hard to schedule. My little brother (DC) and I (Switzerland) have managed to play through Gears of War on weekends, a couple of acts at a time, when he isn't owning me in Lumines.
- dxgg, on 06/13/2008, -0/+2He lives in Europe (I'm in the US), and his internet access is limited...so serious online gaming isn't a possibility. We do play Skype chess, though. :)
- Tarale, on 06/13/2008, -0/+3Do you play online with your son?
- Tarale, on 06/13/2008, -0/+2Also, my Mum loved "Time Crisis", and she'd hog the gun and say "one more time, one more time!" when my brother and I were playing. She was damn good at it too, but she'd refuse to play anything else on the PlayStation. Even puzzle games like "Kula World".
- Ljay90, on 06/13/2008, -0/+10This article is a great example on parenting. It shows that parenting, above all else, is about building relationships and spending time with your children.
- TheMightyDane, on 06/13/2008, -1/+1I see how it's hard to connect to your son, and the other way around.. But I'm not sure videogames are the way to go...
Greetings from a dude whos father tried to throw a westcoast handsign at me... - dsa202, on 06/13/2008, -6/+0Video games are ruining American family values. They should truly make them illegal in the United States. It's only holding the American people back.
- CaptEnder, on 06/13/2008, -0/+3You forgot the sarcasm tag, I hope. If not, you're at the wrong place.
- dsa202, on 06/13/2008, -1/+0Good sir, you are being brainwashed by the American media and public. I suggest you take your hands off the controller and use to it open your eyes. Families are being destroyed everyday, along with video game addicts who are destroying their lives.
- CaptEnder, on 06/13/2008, -0/+3You forgot the sarcasm tag, I hope. If not, you're at the wrong place.
- JepthaAxe, on 06/13/2008, -0/+2I've been playing video/computer games since the late 70s (Empire of the Overmind anyone?) and still do today. I would say emphatically that precious few do anything to strengthen family bonds -- which is not necessarily a good or bad thing, it's just the way it is.
That said, gaming still plays a huge role in our family life, but mainly in the form of board games -- Zooloretto, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, etc. etc... Game night with the girls is one of the things I look forward to most in this here life! - Trax852, on 06/13/2008, -1/+2Didn't read the article
My son and I don't see much anymore even tho we live close.
But everyday since it's release we have played COD4 online. he's lethal
and I'm not that quick, but we have a lot of fun together.
We're on Xfire and Ventrilo toghter so we see where each other are and
talk to each other so were in constant touch.
Yes games have brought me closer to my son (17yrs old)- donkevin, on 06/13/2008, -0/+5Good. Still RTFA, though.
- astrotrain, on 06/13/2008, -0/+2Nothing like sitting down with your kids and firing up a good game of Ms. Pac-Man or Pole Position. They are clean and still have a challenge even after all these years for young and old.
- ManIs5, on 06/13/2008, -0/+4Where I live, we have some long, cold winters and playing video games with my son takes the place of the hikes and other sports we do in the summer. I get the feeling from a few of the comments that some of you may be considering this as an either/or proposition. It's not like those of us who play games with our kids have no other interaction with them. And I know one family of four who's spent a lot more time together lately playing Rock Band and having an absolute blast. In fact, now that I think about it, video games are one of the few things that kids can do just as well as adults (and usually better), so it's more fun than say, getting their little asses kicked at tennis or skiing!
What scares me are the parents who let their kids spend unending hours passively staring at the TV with no interaction at all. - BoomShake007, on 06/13/2008, -0/+2I remember the first time I played a videogame with my dad. It was at his office. He turned on his computer and at the command line he typed in something which I forget. It was Gorillas. We hurled nuclear bananas at each other on the city skyline and loved it. Taunts, laughing, and having an awesome time. We'd eventually get an SNES at home. I played Super Mario World by myself until the weekend came around, when Dad picked up the p2 controller and joined up as Luigi. It was fantastic. We would help each other with the levels, sharing lives, etc. but we'd also bust each other's chops when they died or did something silly. We'd go on to play classics like Top Gear, the NHL and Madden games, and more.
- warplayer, on 06/13/2008, -0/+3Wow what a touching and moving article. The end sort of had me tearing up here at the office. Worth the full read if you haven't.
- DemonDivaDani, on 06/13/2008, -0/+3we actually bought RockBand for Kaela, for Christmas, this past year. We played often as a family. We haven't played very often since she died... but it was one of our favorite family activities in winter, since we couldn't spend much time outdoors.
a big 'thumbs up' to all the gamer parents out there, who understand that bonding with the kids, is so important. 'high five' the kids when they kick your butt at a game, and then give them a big hug. - SparkyPine, on 06/13/2008, -0/+1I will never forget (or at least, I hope not) how strangely amusing it was to see my 7 yr. old standing in front of me as Doom (Doom 2, back in the 90's) as we embarked on our first monster killing spree. Good times...very good times indeed.
- deslock, on 06/17/2008, -0/+1When I was a kid, I remember Saturday morning cartoons were a special time. The sun shining in the house (normally at school during that time), the theme songs and shows you waited all week to see. But now that favorite cartoons are on every day that special time is missing for my young kids... so we filled it with video game time and now they really look forward to it.
When we got a console last year, my son was still 3 so I was pretty darn sure it would be a flop for him. Our first games were hard for him but he wanted to play with his sister (6) and I and a couple months later it was Lego Star Wars that turned him into a master. Three years old and he was getting good.
Today he is 5 now and a grand master but he has to read a book to me before we break out the controllers. Oh and my daughter gets to be assertive and dominant, great character development for a normally timid girl imo.
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