The Kids Are Alright

I read recently an interesting book; "The Kids Are Alright: How the Gamer Generation Is Changing the Workplace", published by Harvard Business School:

"Think video games are kids' stuff? Think again. According to authors John C. Beck and Mitchell Wade, all those hours immersed in game culture have created masses of employees with unique attributes. This new generation that's 90 million strong has an amazing ability to multitask, solves problems creatively, and brings unexpected leadership to the table. But to tap these skills, we need to understand and appreciate the different ways gamers think and behave. The Kids Are Alright dispels common myths about gamers and reveals them as committed, team-oriented people who play to win."

The book goes into details trying to prove the obvious fact that the video games present a great way for kids to play in ways that they couldn't do in the past. This is changing for the good and for the bad. I here to remind you that you as a parent can help increase the many benefits and reduce, if not even eliminate the disadvantages. I hope that I can help you in this important task.

The book itself is very academic in nature and full with figures ("...in the United States,
some 39 percent of computer gamers are women (the percentage
is lower for game console players)...), and can't help us with the games of today, but it does have some important points that I would like to share with you.

Inter-Generation Gap

"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they allow disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children now are tyrants. . . ." —Socrates (496-399 B.C.)
This immortal sentences from Socrates are always important to remember on how much we think that our kids attitude is too much to handle, and that you were so different in their age. We need to embrace their confidence and their ability to handle a changing world in ways that we can't handle. But in the same time we must find the way to guide them into a world that is basically operating in the same way, and our wisdom and experience is priceless.

"IDC calculates that the average gamer spends over two and one-half hours each day gaming—time that once would have been spent in front of the television or at the movies."
We think that the time our kids are playing was once used to play outside with friends, but it was likely be used to stare passively the TV. Our simple task is to direct our kids to play with friends, either in the same room or over the Internet. Even if they are playing alone, they maybe practicing for their next party game, just like they could be practicing in the back yard before their next game in the little league.

"...video games are central to understanding the generation. The relationship between the
gamers and their technology is powerful, more powerful than the boomers’ once-frightening rock and roll revolution, or the insidious teachings of television."
Understanding the simple fact that the revolutions and differences of opinions is only a natural tension between the generations which is perennial.

In the rest of the posts in this blog, we will investigate how to use this unavoidable wave of video games to the advantages of "playing together", "playing to win", "multi-tasking thinking" and other huge advantages that we can give to our kids through these games. Let's just start with the title "The kids are alright", and from here let's make it even better.

Tip #3 - Set to Easy Mode

Games are mirror of life

Kids are learning all the time. They are learning to handle and master the complexity of the world. They learn to roll, crawl, walk and then run. They learn to cry, make sounds, say words, compose sentences and then read and write. It always starts with the basic, and if they can't master these basics they have troubles in moving to the next level. It is important to have a positive experience in the beginning to be able to grow and master it in the future.
How many people hate Math? Most of them hate it because of early life experience. If they could grow their confidence gradually, they would certainly could manage the Math they learned in high school with greater ease.

This long introduction leads to the simple tip: It is better to start a game in the easiest difficulty level. It gives you and your kids more confidence for the next of the game, future games and more importantly to future real life activities.

It is not Lame...

The first "macho attitude" is to say that it is lame to start with "Easy" instead of "Normal" or even "Hard". Your kids should also look at you and say: "Easy is not cool". But if your kids are young and they don't have enough experience with games in general or this type of games in particular (Driving, Role Playing Games...), it is highly recommend to still choose the "Easy" mode for the first time you play it.

If you read my past posts you probably already know that games are not played once. You can always go and play it again in a higher level of difficulty when your kid feels he has mastered it.

Most games start in the easy mode as a default, but some of them start in "Medium/Normal" level and you should decrease it from the “Options” menu. Setting the level to the easiest won’t ruin your fun of the game when played for the first time, just lower the number of frustrating moments.

If the "Easy" level is indeed very easy for you, you will be able to finish the game in no time. You will be amazed to see how confidence your kid will be that you did it so quickly. He maybe even asked to play it again with the same "Easy" mode.

Increase Game Difficulty Gradually

It is also that you control the increase of the difficulty level in the next session. On one hand don't stay in the easy mode too long, or it will be impossible for the kids to play it, if he is too used to the "Easy" mode. Usually playing a game for couple of days, is enough to master the "Easy" level. On the other hand don't jump the levels, and increase the difficulty one level at the time. Your kids will need more time to master the harder level. If they mastered "Easy" in couple of days, they will probably need almost of week to master "Normal" mode and much more to be able to play "Hard" mode.
The older your kids the faster they will be able to move faster up the mode levels. The more you play with them, the more you will be able to judge their level and help them build their confidence to handle game events and real life events.

Tip #2 - Use Cheats and Guides

The second tip that can boost your mutual enjoyment from video games is the usage of cheats or game guides.

It is almost impossible to finish every game without some external help. Even if you are a veteran of many games, you are going to get stuck, somewhere in any game, and it will happen more frequently if you are a new comer to this world. You and your kids will find you wandering around a room for almost an hour, with no exit in sight. You will fight a boss, twenty times in a row, and it will not show any sign of weakness. Before you throw the game out of the window, cursing its creators, swearing that you are not going to play it or any other game ever again, you should know that help is near.

The two most popular help methods are guides and cheats.

What are Game Guides?

Guides are solutions that lead your step by step along the game, directing you what, how, where and when to do. They are also called: FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), Walkthru (Walk-Through) or Solutions. You never need the whole guide, since most of the games you will be able to do on your own. You need it only when you are really stuck, when you want to find some secrets that are not necessary part of the game or just easier ways to solve various problems, or when you want to fully master the game.

Remember that good games are not played just once. You can play them again and again, just like reading a good book again or viewing a movie more than once. Unlike a book or a movie, the second time can be completely different, as most good games are not linear. Much like a book or a movie, when you read an analysis of the book, you will see it in a different light, and you will enjoy it more on the second time.

A good guide can help you finish the game the first time you play it, saving you from being stuck. But a good guide can also help you get the most of the game on the second (and third...) time you play it. The guide is also an excellent opportunity for you to be a the educating parent. You can read the guide, while your kid is playing the game. This is a great way for you to cooperate in the game.
You can also let the kid read the specific parts that can help get over the level that he is playing. You will be surprised to see the eagerness of their reading, when it is come to games.
Some of the guides are written by or with the help of the game developers, or by professional writers. These guides are usually better written in terms of language, but not necessarily in terms of game help. These guides are also more expensive as they are printed and official. I remember some of such guides that I enjoyed as much as the game, especially guides for RPG (Role Playing Games), such as Final Fantasy or Oblivion.

Most of the free guides are usually created with the help of many people around the world, that each one is contributing small tips to fill in the missing parts of the game picture. Many times people, who are playing the game, find ways to solve it that isn’t in the original design of the game. These guides are written by gamers and their language is not always perfect and their explanations are not always clear. These still have a lot of information that you can use to increase your enjoyment of the games. A good source of free game guides is Gamefaqs.

What are Game Cheats?

Cheats on the other hand are used to change the game and make it easier. Cheats are also known as Codes or Passwords. They are usually limited to a specific aspect of the game (invincibility, extra power, life or money, more items or weapons etc.) or to a specific location in the game (hidden door or item).

The cheats are usually found and used after you already finished the game for the first time. They are adding variation to the game play and therefore adding to the fun of the game. Here is a list of the top cheat sites.

Your role as a parent is also crucial in the usage of cheats. You don't want your kids to cheat in school or in other real life environment. So why would you want to let them cheat in the games. First reason is that this is exactly what games is all about. Let the player play with things that otherwise he can't or not allowed to do. It is important that you as a parent understand that (it can help you tolerate some of the features of some games), but more important it is crucial that your kid understands it. Your job is to let him the freedom to play, imagine and experience while at the same time explain what should be applied to the real world, and what not.

These cheats are also crucial if you have younger kids. If you want them to start playing young or if they see their older siblings playing, you need to make it possible for them to do it. Adding invincibility (in action games) or endless money (in strategy games), makes it possible for them to play "like the big kids".

These cheats are easily found with simple Google search with "cheats" and the name of the game. Note that sometimes different consoles have different cheats and you will have to add the name of the machine (PS2, N64, XBox...) to the search.

Tip #1 - Work (Play) Together

You don't like watching your kids play alone their "stupid" video games?

Why not play with them?

Whenever your kid is about to start a new game (that you bought him or he got from a friend), this is your chance to step in. After they master the game they will need you less and you will not be able to contribute anything to them.

Video games are best solved and played when played as a group. Even if the game doesn’t have a multi-player mode, and there is only one controller, you can still play it as a team (and as a family)

What is my role as a parent?

It starts with discussing what is going on, what has been tried already and what is still ahead of us. What is the most beneficial next step, which is based on the multiplication of cost (how much time it will take us to get there? How many enemies must we fight on the way, which will cost health points? And other such questions) and of effectiveness (What are we going to find there? What is the likelihood that it is really there?). It sounds more like a board meeting of an industrial company or a discussion in a military headquarters, but this is exactly the kind of talks that will help you get through the games. In this matter I completely agree with Don Norman's "The Future of Education: Lessons Learned from Video Games", and you get the chance to be the teacher!

In the beginning of your gaming experience, you as the parent must take the place of the manager or the commander of the discussion. Ask the questions, give your guidelines and ideas, and teach your kids to think, invent ideas, and evaluate options until finally they are also ready to make decisions, following your examples. They will soon be able to manage these discussions, with you, by themselves and with their friends.

Who is holding the controller?

One of the things that might cause some arguments among you is “Who is holding the controller?” In the beginning the controller gives the sense of control on the game, and it is important that it is held in the hands of the kid. Rest assure that they will be better with it than you will ever be (their reflexes are sharper, their hand-eye-coordination is faster), but at the same time you are a better thinker. Use that advantage and the fact that you are not wasting your time on moving your fingers to look around the game, and think how to solve it better. After a few hours of playing a game, your kids will be satisfied with the actual control, and you will have a better understanding of the game rules, and you can start sharing your expertise.

Your kid will be happy to teach you the control and will be more willing to listen to your advice. Let you kids hold the controllers in the first hour of the game, don’t try to take it from their hands, if they fail to make a specific jump or trick. Probably you won’t do it better. Always ask for the controller and let them hand it over. This is also a good lesson in politeness. Encourage them to try it again, read in the manual for tips of how to do it better and use the other methods that are discussed here. Never take it from their hands and do it for them!

But I want to play too...

From my experience, every player has his good moves and bad moves, and once you discover it together, your kids will give you the controller to preform the tasks that you discovered are easier for you. For example in one of the games ("Mario Paper"), whenever there was a need to tap the controller button repeatedly faster, it was my job. When there was a need to tap at a precise instant it was my son move. You will have your share of actual controller holding.

Just make sure that you are still able to have control of the game through your kids, by talking, laughing and teaching, which is what playing together is all about.

Which Console (Wii, PS3 or XBox 360) to Buy

Many people are talking about the war between the "next-generation" console between XBox-360 (Microsoft), PlayStation 3 (Sony) and Wii (Nintendo). I won't hide my bias toward my favorite candidate: Wii. I'm sure that for most people, including most of your family members, playing with the Wii will be fun, while I can't guarantee the same family fun with any of the others.
Your kids, if they are over the age of 12, will beg you to get them a PS3, because it is more "cool" (and expansive). But if we are talking about the family fun, you can prolong your fun for a few more years with the Wii.

What are the differences between the consoles?

The XBox-360 has great graphic and sound which makes the first few minutes of every game an amazing experience. The PS3 has even better graphics and also the ability to have longer games. The graphics of the Wii, is much simpler, and even disappointing in the first look. The main feature of the Wii is its controller that looks more like a TV remote control than a game control.

Does it matter to me?

If you are considering the family aspects of the consoles and the ability to play together as a family, the graphics effects are fading after few minutes and the longer games are not important for family games. The simplicity of the controller and the ability of everybody (even mom...) to pick it up and start playing, is turning the Wii to the console to choose.

How the Wii Control Works?

As I wrote before, there is no need to run and buy the new console on the day, month and even the year that is it launched. There are plenty of older consoles (DreamCast, GameCube, PS2...) that you can buy for less than $100, get great games for less than $15 and wait for the new consoles to mature, lower their price, become available in stores (and not pay $3000 in eBay) and have better games and not the ones that were rushed to meet the launched day.
Happy holiday to you and your family.