For the past two days I've sat in front of my computer with nothing to write. I've tried to get more pages down for my script but nothing has come out. I've tried to write in my blog but couldn't come up with anything to write about. I could have just been negative and bitched and moaned about my job and lack of interest, but I decided I've done that alot and didn't need to do it again. So instead of writing, I've done some reading. Just reading anything that I come across.
I came across an article about money spent on reasearch being done on violence in video games and effect on kids. It got me to think about how video games, from simple games like "Pong" to violent games like "Quake" effected my life. I think fondly of games like "Pong" and haven't shot and killed anybody no matter how intense I got in a game of "Quake".
So I thought about writing something off the top of my head about video games, board games, a little about role playing games and how great these things are for kids.
When I was a kid, board games were a big part of my life. I tried to introduce the world of board games like "Candy Land", "Chutes and Ladders" and others to my kids. It was hard for me to admit, but what I found fun as a kid was completely boring now as an adult. But that wasn’t just my opinion as an adult. The attention span that Jake had for a board game was quite short. It was just as boring for him as it was for me. There’s not a lot going on in a board game except the roll of a die and the movement of a board piece.
Then came video games.
An Atari console was introduced in my household. It was the most amazing ‘toy’ I ever had. Instead of rolling a die and counting squares you were forced to move a joy stick and press a button in order to control a dot or line on the screen. Hand eye coordination was a must.
Breaking into the teens I went from board games to more advanced video games and Role Playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. A game that stimulated your mind more than any ‘traditional’ board game could. But it was just that. A more advanced form of a board game. With dice and 'board pieces' in the form of warriors, wizards and goblins. I loved role playing more than any kind of game out there. I was able to be creative, I was able to delve into a fantasy world and learn new ways to interact and communicate with other people, and I was able to write scenarios and stories and create characters - which is what I do as a screenwriter. What traditional board game allowed you to do this?
Board games are bound by strict rules. Do this, that, and the other thing and that’s that. Role Playing could take you into situations that you never expected. You made choices as a character that normally would be life or death decisions. There weren't any strict rules at all, and most gamers came up with their own rules. Problem solving skills are much more utilized in Role Playing than in any other traditional board game. Combine Role Playing into a video game and the world is your oyster. And the gods that be did just that! And I thank them for it.
Today, Jake plays video games that force him to use more brain power than any traditional board game could. Not only are the games complicated, the controllers are as well.
Where I started out with one joystick and a button, Jake was thrown into the world of video games with a controller that forces you to use both hands in order to control two thumb controllers that can also act like buttons, triggers for both his index fingers, and eight to ten other buttons to manage. Throw in a multidirectional pad to boot.
I, for one, was very intimidated with this new Xbox controller. I was not eager to learn all the possible combination of buttons but was forced to in order to teach Jake the basics of game play.
He’s not addicted to video games and I realize there’s a reason. But I’ll get to that later.
So what’s better? Video Games or Board Games?
Pull out "Chutes & Ladders", "Candy Land", "Life" or any other board game available and play with your kids. Challenge them to a game and see who wins. It’s pretty even isn’t it?
Now get a game on the Xbox going with your kid and see what happens. It’s not so easy to win anymore. The challenge to learn the game is hard enough, staying alive in a game and challenging your kids to a win is harder. They are way more advanced than we are and can manage all the different things on a game than most adults who decide to try it.
What’s better for your child? Rolling a die and counting squares on a board or managing five lines of a hockey team, passing a puck to a player for a one timer, avoiding an off sides call, icing, and dealing with sudden death overtime. What’s more challenging to do? Counting and managing play money in "Life" or "Monopoly" or timing your swing in order to hit a fast ball, 12-6 curve, slider or off speed pitch, throwing to second base to catch a guy stealing, getting a reliever ready in the pen at an appropriate time and earning enough ‘points’ by game play in order to purchase ‘locked’ teams, jerseys or stadiums that add more to game play?
Of course, playing video games or board games to an addictive level is unhealthy, but that’s when you as a parent have to introduce other things. Give him or her choices. Like sports, reading, writing, music, 'learning games' on the computer or a movie that has morals. Spread out the activities.
Complaints of obesity in today’s children have been all over the place. Parents complain that kids watch too much tv or play too much video games and state this leads to obesity. Yet parents want these same kids to sit in their rooms or at the table and do homework for two or more hours while they eat chips and drink soda. Maybe too much homework has a lot more to do with child obesity than tv and video games.
Parents complaints of violent television shows and violent video games also run rampant. Yet they send thier kids out to play football or get them ready for a full check hockey league and let Karate instructors be their baby sitters for a couple of hours.
I’m glad Jake goes days without playing video games because he’s doing other things like reading, writing or playing sports. But I don’t bitch and moan when I see him playing video games. On occasion I join him. At least his mind is stimulated. He’s not zoning in on a sitcom or cartoon watching others act, he’s making a whole world act.
Don’t bitch and moan if your kid is playing video games. At least he’s not watching TV... or shooting someone.
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