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Comment by Chris Rumore on March 3, 2013 at 2:57am

I haven't really been interested in games too much since my son was born.   I used to LOVE playing PC games and played Halo 1-3 (Co-op multiplayer w/ some old friends)  The Xbox turned into kids tv show/movie streamer until the new TV had all that, and the XBox gathered dust.but haven't played much of the newer Halo offerings, and games like SkyRim were such time vampires, I avoided them completely(buyt they LOOK beautiful). My son's not into tv or games much (we like to play w/ toys and build physical stuff - yea mud!) But that's more because we held back rather then his disinterest. I KNOW he's love Skyrim (or Skylanders) but I want him to learn his core stuff before he gets too into games and whatnot... ;)

The one game we have played together a few times is Journey - it's relaxing, and the music is soothing. Makes for a nice change of pace from the other stuff out there. And it's amazing to watch how much it affected him - seeped intop his gameplay, thinking, and artwork. That made me REALLY take a second look at some of the games and shows I was going to expose him to. Not that I can shield him from the realities of the world, I don't need to get him hooked on senseless violence and whatnot.

I have a few pair of decent VR glasses, and when he gets a little older, We'll break out WADED and some other old-but-easy editing tools, when he's not playing Skyrim 4 or something else...

I don't miss gaming too much - partly due to me keeping my exposure to it limited. Bioshock was an awesome game to play, but I never did so around the little guy.

Wireless headphones help, as does having a mancave and tv. But I so rarely find myself actually IN it, and since he's been tall enough to see the "expensive plastic crap" on my shelves, I don't even CARE if he wants to play with them. There's a BIG tube of crazy glue sitting there if when somthing happens.

I dunno, the way I see it, even if I in the future, am deemed  "cool  enough" to play games w/ my teenage son, I will have plenty of time to play games when he's busy beeing a teenager, for now, I just wanna play w/ him... and not in front of a screen... (Although Gauntlet on the gamecube with him + me+ two of his cousins is a BLAST... for a half hour.)

-TDA

Heh  -written at 2:52 on a Sunday. Replying to a 2 mounth old thread. Guess I don't get online much... ;)

 

Hope you all have awesome experiences w/ your kids!

Comment by Peter Edwards on February 5, 2013 at 7:05am

I would definatly agree with the lack of gaming play over the last few years, but now the boys are older (4 & 1) it seems to be changing a bit.  like some of the other comments below evenings are generally a safe bet.  I seem to recall with our first that I would sit outside his room playing Zelda on the DS until he was 'definatly asleep'.  Again like others have mentioned i seem to have been left behind on the game front, but I'm not too concerned as i thought I would be, it means I can take my time over getting the games that I want (and at a better price!).  I've also made the choice to skip the next generation of console (Wii U); mainly because I want to wait to see what happens and slowly introduce the eldest to this world and see how he takes to it.  As well as actually satisy my OCD and finish everything I already have to 100%. 

We got the eldest the Cars game for the Wii, with the idea that it's characters and a story he can relate to, but we limit the time he plays (with the count down feature of the vtech watch which is well worth getting for small people).  He'll now ask to race against one of us; which now brings the challange of balancing his winning and losing against us.  He did catch me on Skyward Sword the other afternoon and he does seem interested.....

Comment by Nathan Evenson on January 28, 2013 at 1:27pm

My 10-month-old daughter has always liked to "help" with computer games, and will sit in my lap for a good 20-40 minutes depending on her mood. However, I get my best playing done when I set her in the living room floor with toys, and let her play, while I play on the TV. I can supervise and still play, but it seems she is far too interested in the computer to try laptop gaming. The controllers just seem a bit less interesting to her. But given the chance to snuggle while I play, she'll "help" there as well.

I always gamed later at night at first, though. The thought being I was taking the "first shift" of the evening, and my wife took the second shift. It was always easier for me to stay up and help immediately, than go to sleep and get back up when the baby was crying. I was definitely short on sleep for a while, but my gaming hadn't really suffered much. I always thought having a newborn and being short on sleep were sort of co-requisites. 

Now that she's sleeping through the night 6 out of 7 nights a week, I've opted to play more while I'm supervising her in the living room. Computer gaming has been moved to my train commute to and from work, which excludes any MMO's, for the most part, but I prefer action RPG (Skyrim, Borderlands, etc.) and RTS (Age of Empires, Civilization, etc.) to MMO, so this has worked well. I've logged a few hundred hours between PC and Xbox over the last year. I don't see my usage flagging much, in fact, as I figure out more ways to play and multitask, they're almost increasing:

1) It was initially an excuse: "I'm staying up to take the first shift of the evening."

2) I'm supervising!

Comment by Teknophyl on January 8, 2013 at 1:07pm

I went the handheld route and got a PSP when my kids were wee. I'd game at night mostly.

Everything else I buy for my other consoles can be paused, which is nice when you have to get away from games without a save point.

Comment by Fabian on January 5, 2013 at 9:50am

@Glenn Gass The Old Republic is free and fun imo.

Comment by Glenn Gass on January 4, 2013 at 10:21pm

We played City of Hero with my son in a baby bajorn(sp?) on my chest.  We played for months with me wearing headphones mom asleep in the other room and baby on my chest.  He became our mascot and I wasn't allowed on a raid one night unless I went and got him and placed him there.  He had his first first warcraft kill a 4 months when I wedged the controller between him and the straps.  Around 2 years old I noticed a mark down turn in my gaming but its picked up more now that he plays with us at 7.  He was the team tank until COH closed.  Geek Goddess won't let him play Warcraft yet so I'm looking for a new game we can both play for less then 15 a month.  

Comment by Cyrus Steele on January 3, 2013 at 12:34pm

Speaking as a dad of three kids under 4 years old. Yes your game time will diminish. But it all depends on your kids for exactly how much. Also there will be spots where gaming will just not exist while working through things (ie making it through the 4 month long period where the youngest will not sleep before 10:30pm). Also being married to a fellow geek raises your chances of gaming time once the kids are asleep for the night.

Comment by Russell Collins on January 1, 2013 at 3:22pm

I have to agree with Michael there. Right now, I can squeeze some time in while the kiddo heads down for a nap. And then one or two nights a week I tend to veg out on the xbox, work schedule and wife allowing me to that is. I have learned though, that some games she actually quite enjoys. My daughter is happy to sit in my lap and watch me play Psychonauts, or Peggle. Of course she has to have a controller of her own.

The big thing is, finding what schedule works for you. I haven't played as many video games as I've loved to and have forgone doing my usual reservation of 2 or 3 games for the coming up season because I know I can't play them. And sure, it's infuriating to be in the middle of a mission or story and have to turn it off to get her... but there are worse things that could happen. So I grumble, take a deep sigh, and go in to see the kiddo's smiling face, happy to see me. And.. well that makes it all ok.

Comment by Jacob Turner on December 31, 2012 at 11:33pm

With my son there was a long period where he would only sleep while held.  So I frequently had him on my shoulder but could spare both hands due to various baby holding devices (like wraps).  It was during this time I got in a very little bit of Metroid on the Wii.  I advise less motion intense games, but it is some solid (mute enabled) game time at least.

But yes, once mobile, gaming is gone if you are to remain sane.  My elder brother tried to keep gaming, eventually I bought him wireless controllers since the kid learned fast that pulling the wires got Daddy VERY amusingly animated.

Comment by Fabian on December 29, 2012 at 11:12pm

I have taken up games that are quick or do not have to much story. I finished Halo 4 in one day. Played a few round online but not much. My wife is nice enough to let me have my late night raids on occasion, but mostly by then I am so tired I just fall asleep watching netflix.  If my son is awake and in the room with me, he knows that playing games distracts me (he is 2).

He will grab my collectors set of Star Wars, or some other item he shouldn't touch because he know it will get me off the couch. So I have to settle for late nights or his nap times. 

Which is why I dislike how many games will penalize you for dropping out of a game suddenly because they assume you are just a random quitter. Sorry, my son crying or need to eat comes first.

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