Violence in video games
 

My 11 year old son just started "video game design school", but I was a little worried about violent content, so being a responsible parent, I talked to him about it:

me: Son, I don't want you to make a violent video game.
son: Don't worry Dad, my first game is just "pong". But in my version, the ball explodes when it contacts the paddle, and kills everyone, everytime!

me: Why don't you try to make something educational?
son: Ok, how about a game called "Kill the Video Game Design School Teacher"!

me: You aren't getting my point. How about a religious theme then?
son: You mean like "Hunt Down Jesus and the 12 Disciples"?

I give up.


Danny Lightspeed:
http://www.stevelightspeed.com/dannysimpson.jpg

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

hahahahhah

Go big boy!!

Startin em young, good schitt...

I was stoked to have a similar program at my school at 15.

I could so see him saying that too!

Don't you want him working on what he wants to do, rather than what someone else wants him to do? That way he'll be passionate about what he's creating. That's kinda how we all got here no? :)

I'm taking a wild guess here, no kids right?

dont tell me you werent like that at his age...:)

Well, yeah, and I turned out... um, no, thats a bad example...

haha, my nephews, ages 13 and 14 are creating their own video game and have nearly the same attitude

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

I guess there is a reason you don't see any video games where people plant new trees, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and care for the elderly and sick... Its way more fun to blow shit up!

"me: You aren't getting my point. How about a religious theme then?
son: You mean like "Hunt Down Jesus and the 12 Disciples"?"

I'd play that game.. lol.

This thread made me remember this proud day:

http://www.stevelightspeed.com/iwillbeaking.jpg

Niiice Pic .....good to see he is still rocking his Orange Hair!

:1orglaugh :1orglaugh guess NOT:winkwink:

haha, nice!!

although i figured he'd want to take over the empire one day.

The joys of parenthood! Don't worry too much! Sounds like you have good communication going. Let him be who he wants to be; just stand close beside him! hehe

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

LOL
He is such a charmer and I like his style!

Telling hom not to do that is like encouraging him to do it. No, I don't have any kids, thats just how I was.

hahahaha i see the similarities between you and you son!!!!

hehe :)

Thats too funny.Sounds like a smart kid.

hehehehe cool kid you got there man.

heheheheh

Your son is smart.......Just trust him..............
And be proud you have smart kid like him.....................

I don't play them but it actually quite shocking the violence in these games today.I wouldn't let my kids play them

Nope, but one on the way. :) My point was that if kids aren't given the room to develop as they want, and aren't *supported* in whatever they do, then what? They do it anyways, and don't tell you! My dad had a great rule. If I told him the truth, and he found out from me first, I would never be in trouble. Regardless of "trouble", it made me feel like I could be open and talk about things like drugs, sex, and religion!

I think parenting is like the bumpers in the gutters in bowling. Until a certain point in maturity you have to maintain your bumpers, to guide them back into the lane. But at some point, you also have to remove the bumpers and start letting them fall on their faces a bit.

As per the last comment here too, "I wouldn't let my kids play them"...

I struggle with this one. To me that's like the parents who say "I would never let my kids eat that" but probably eat it themselves.. Makes me nuts, parents who go crazy about their kids diet, with a fifty pound gut tucked into their pants. I think a lot of that is "I'm going to make better decisions for you, to make myself feel better about the decisions I make, because you're the only one who'll be suffering" hehe.

I think someone mature enough to want to make video games, probably knows about violent video games, and knows it's a fantasy world. Maybe taking him to a gun range to demonstrate what a real gun feels like - and how powerful it is - would be a good lesson sometime soon? Obviously I have no idea your thoughts on guns etc, but even adults are often shocked at how powerful a handgun is.. It puts things into perspective I think.

I also suggest to read "Emile" by Jean Jacques Rousseau. A must read.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emile:_Or%2C_On_Education

"it addresses political and philosophical questions regarding the individual?s relationship to society, in particular how the individual can retain what Rousseau saw as his natural goodness while participating in an inevitably corrupt society."

Loves it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had a class in high school that allowed independant projects... A group of us decided to design a quake 2 map of the school for game day (before christmas/spring break everyone got to play q2 deathmatch). It was pretty good, we used the school blueprints and shit to make everything to scale, and made some awesome textures, then came Columbine and apparantly simulating shooting your classmates in the school was "taboo" :1orglaugh