Sessler's Soapbox: Play With Your Damn Kids!

Posted by Jonathan Hunt - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 2:19 PM

It's holiday season and parents everywhere will buying the hottest new videogames for their loving children. In this week's Sessler's Soapbox, Adam talks about the recent study that only 43% of parents actually play videogames with their kids. What do you think? Do you think parents should take a more active interest in accolades of Pikachu and Master Chief? Check out the video and leave your thoughts below or let us know how you feel on our forums.

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Tags: Sessler's Soapbox, Videogames, Videos

Comment(s)

Posted by Jubilantgravestone - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 2:49 PM

I'm sure he's probably talking about younger kids with games on the Wii (even though he did happen to mention Master Chief) because I know my parents would rather do bills.

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Posted by pokefan493 - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 2:55 PM

My parents play, or at least watch, games with me and my younger brothers all the time.

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Posted by Derelicke - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 3:23 PM

This edition is pointless. Obviously we (the adults with kids) like video games. We wouldn't be on this website if we didn't. Instead of telling people that already know this, try a different audience. Get on Oprah or Larry King. Convince them and convince the WORLD!!

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Posted by excaleranth - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 3:32 PM

mine don't... the last time they ever played a game was probably Joust or something. i'm trying to get my dad to play halo but he keeps delaying this by saying he's "busy" with work. he brings work home. this sucks.

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Posted by Jimtopia - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 3:52 PM

I really liked this edition, it's very true. I agree with Derelicke as well though; you need to reach a wider audience than just the regulars of G4TV.com.

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Posted by Anthony_21XL - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 3:57 PM

My Dad did until i got madden 2002 on christmas. All i need to say is i was in sixth grade and after my three 80 yard runs he was scarred for life. Now a days he'll walk by the TV and thinks i'm turning into a savage, but if hes drunk he'll just start screaming "Why the -blam- aren't you using your shotgun!"

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Posted by hhhhhhh - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 4:26 PM

My parents don't actively play games with me, but they do watch me play sometimes and make comments about the game. Sometimes positive and sometimes negative. When I would play Gears, they would ask me why a game like this interests me. Recently, when I was playing Assassin's Creed, my Dad was really interested in it. He would ask me what the game was about and he seemed to enjoy the fact that there is a lot of freedom in the game. I don't think parents will take a full on interest in videogames until the future.

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Posted by Ilikevideogames99 - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 4:34 PM

so patriotic i cried

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Posted by RighteousFury - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 4:39 PM

My father never played video games with me, I always try to get him to play but he doesn't play at all.

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Posted by sdc10 - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 5:06 PM

my dad will actually play some games with me, the simple stuff, like he used to play mario kart on the gamecube or some sports games

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Posted by arod95 - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 5:23 PM

the only time my dad ever played video games with me was when he would us M. Bison on street fighter and do the same move over and over again. I tried showing my mom how to play Halo and well I think she was traumatized. I still have a hard time convincing her on the merits of video games...she thinks I should have outgrown video games by now...in her mind I should have been done with them right after i graduated from high school...oh well.

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Posted by Degan - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 6:36 PM

My old man used to play games with me when I was a kid. He understood that it's nice to have a heads up as to what your kids are into. Did it matter if he liked it? hated it? No. What matters is that he was interested in know what I was playing and what I was up to.

Parent's don't have to eat, sleep, and breathe what their kids are into. They just have to understand what their kid's are up to and be parents when it's time to be a parent. Especially now that online is in the equation.

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Posted by SgtSmashBabies - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 6:47 PM

my dad used to play Starfox64 with me, before his mid-life crysis turned him into a total douchebag

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Posted by Spartan3970 - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 8:03 PM

That makes perfect sence. If parents know what their children are into it makes it a hell of a lot easyer to understand them.

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Posted by Blue_Vortex - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 8:28 PM

My dad use to play the NES, and I was able to get my mom to play ddr, me and my brother are trying to get them to play Guitar Hero, but they don't seem to want to rock out with us.

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Posted by Blue_Vortex - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 8:30 PM

Let our generation be the one that plays video games with their kids, if we have anying.

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Posted by cantonkid - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 9:11 PM

When I was younger (say in the early Nintendo days) my parents never really 'got' video games. But when they got older and retired (and had more free time) I brought them over to the dark side ;) I started off by getting my mom a game boy, and later moved her on to my old console systems as I upgraded. She really like platform games like Zelda and Mario. She will often call me to tell me that she can't get past a certain boss or level and that I need to help her the next time I visit (but by then she has usually figured it out). Now I am gong to get her a 360 for Christmas (she wants to play Conan...unbelievable) but we are closer than ever and have more in common now than when I was younger.

I gave them my old computer and my dad got hooked on solitaire style card games, but he never went beyond that.

I don't have kids yet, but I am sure that if I do we will be fighting over the controllers and before long, they will be powning me ;)

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Posted by JDarkley - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 10:14 PM

Really, Sessler could also be talking about parental responsibility here. That would make sense.

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Posted by AgentSmith47 - Thursday, November 29, 2007 12:23 AM

JDarkley:
I think the point Sessler was inferring upon was that in order for parents to be responsible with their children's gaming they need to be involved. An example he just put out there, which seems pretty good, is actually playing with your kids. Hell, it was that specific side note that made the SP WOW episode so entertaining.

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Posted by Zannlikespie - Thursday, November 29, 2007 6:30 AM

well who here dosen't you know

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Posted by ManOfTeal - Thursday, November 29, 2007 8:11 AM

Both my parents played games. This was back in the NES days of course but the reason I have 50 NES games is because after my father would beat one game he would run out and get a new one.....and my mom and I would watch him play them....and then we would also play the game he just beat ourselves.....we had two NESs.

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Posted by mencken - Thursday, November 29, 2007 11:20 AM

My parents don't, they nag me about it.

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Posted by SonicNiGHT - Thursday, November 29, 2007 12:31 PM

lol My dad kicks my ass on guitar hero...first time I brought it home, he was like, can I try? and nailed a perfect Texas Flood on expert. He loves Time Crisis and anything with neat lookin' peripherals, or where people get hurt lol. My mom doesn't like FPS games because they make her dizzy, but she's mad good at Tony Hawk games.

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Posted by 1mikeg - Thursday, November 29, 2007 6:42 PM

The drums and pipes were just distracting. Also, I didn't feel the rant was powerful enough to warrant drums and pipes. (Hint: normally drums and pipes are used to represent nationalism, patriotism, or a call to arms.)

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Posted by streetpilot1 - Thursday, November 29, 2007 7:47 PM

His rant was spot on but i think it would do more good on a network/site that has more parents watching it.

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Posted by Suhaila - Thursday, November 29, 2007 8:58 PM

The only console games my mom played were tetris on the gameboy, columns on gamegear, and the fly swatter game that was on Mario Paint for the SNES. Though she did not play a lot of games, when we were in Kuwait with no real tv she often stole my systems for many hours on end until I dared to hide the cartridge and then I'd have to deal with her screaming at me until I brought it back. Think drug addict who just had their stash hidden from them. I'd rather not have my mom be interested in my games ever again.

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Posted by PoopaPapaPalpatine - Thursday, November 29, 2007 9:31 PM

That was my childhood too..Talking about STAR WARS and all of its glory. Actually, I still do that.

Nevermind.

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Posted by slimmer - Friday, November 30, 2007 5:20 AM

This stupidity has been going on forever, like the little vampires wanting to go feed in the day because they like the thrill and they're totally bored but the vampire parents say NO you can only feed at night like we have always done.
"Back in my day we had to feed on rats and live stock none of this new fangled soccer mom thing"

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Posted by slimmer - Friday, November 30, 2007 5:24 AM

Maybe Tipper Gore could help by starting a new campaign, bigger single and double capitol letters on the front of all my entertainment E, F, FE and so on for parents who just cant see.

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Posted by SkyAnimal (BANNED) - Friday, November 30, 2007 11:31 AM

Here, here, Mr. Sessler.

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Posted by cashnighter - Sunday, December 2, 2007 11:13 PM

.I’m 20 my dad introduced me to games when he bought me the snes and he would always play with me and continued to do so into my n64 days. Now its kind of weird but when have played a little halo together

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Posted by benep255 - Sunday, January 6, 2008 9:35 AM

I don't know about some people but I know for the most part very few parents play games with their kids. I got into video games pretty much because I was an only child and a shy one too so (yea yea its sad, but if you're on this site chances are so are you) it was all I had. I think Sessler makes such an important point because due to my fascination with video games it was pretty much all I did and if my parents had had a part in that it would have been so great. So cry for me later because I have a more important point. Sessler is great, and the unfortunate part of all this is that the only people who are going to see this message of his are people already interested in games because I doubt many parents frequently peruse "Sessler's Soapbox". How long until we get a News Hour with Adam Sessler on tv? God forbid could we replace cops?

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Posted by texformer - Tuesday, January 29, 2008 10:30 AM

I agree and disagree. I agree that parents should get more involved with their kids. But I disagree with the thought that this would make video games more acceptable. I'm not a parent, but I have lots of little cousins, nieces, nephews , and otters in my family. And I would not want them playing some of the games that are out right now. And I would not play the game with them. As a game player I know all about each game that comes out. I don't want my 7 year old nephew playing GOD OF WAR. I buy him the hand held games (Frogger, Space Invaders, Nintendo games). And now that he has a Wii I buy him games like Monkey Ball , and SUper Mario type games. And I play them whenever I visit. His parents play them as well.

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