Video game dislike from the older generation...

[Peter_20]

So my mother has always disliked video games, and whenever I find a new game entertaining, she goes "stop playing it".
The funny part is, I don't actually do anything to worry her.
Alright, I sometimes play video games all night, but I never let it affect my general life.
I got a job four weeks ago, and I've handled it very well and never got late or anything, and I've always been able to play video games like crazy.
She knows that I handle the job excellently, so I thought she'd leave me in peace - but nope! - she still whines about how I should completely stop playing video games and bla-bla-bla.
If I actually were exaggerating it, then my father would have told me, because he's always very honest about stuff like this, but he even encourages me to keep liking video games.
That means I definitely have nothing to worry about; then I have merry chats about video games with dad, and then my mother will eventually show her dislike against it again.
It's so annoying.

Prejudice has always sucked.
Why can't my mum just stop her foolish video game dislike and become more open-minded?
She's great and all, sure, but her anti-video game attitude is getting on my nerves.

I think I'm gonna tell her flat out that I won't care about her views on the whole thing until she's tried all of my games and done so for at least half an hour.
Then I MIGHT listen to her.

[SeeDRankLou]

Many of her generation are of the mind that video games are for kids, and that people will eventually grow out of them. She just wants you to grow up, and doesn't realize that you playing video games isn't a sign of you not growing up, especially if you are holding down a job and things of that nature. Just put her in front of a computer and turn on World of Warcraft. If you come back in a week and she's still there you will have made your point.

[demondude]

Depends what kind of job is it?

[Peter_20]

Depends what kind of job is it?It's a very active job at a ski resort.
We do all kinds of active stuff all day long, and she knows it.

Right now we're tidying up the apartments.

[demondude]

Tell your mother I can lead my own life now I'm old enough?

Thats the best I can think of anyway. :p

[The Unknown Guru]

My parents are usually pretty tolerant, but sometimes they're like, "You've been on that thing for 3 hours! Go watch some TV or something!"
I say, "But TV is boring and I don't do anything..."
"Doesn't matter! Do something else!"

[Rostum]

You seem old enough to not have your parents tell you what you should/shouldn't like.

[Madame Adequate]

You seem old enough to not have your parents tell you what you should/shouldn't like.

Seconded. I used to be told that I played too much, but since I became an adult and all that, I don't hear it anymore.

[Araciel]

video games, to people who are the age of 40-50, were a fringe, super-geeky new thing back when they were 15-30...and so they don't always understand them. to them, it's weird and scary, and the same people probably don't know how to check their e-mail.

my mom bought us an NES because she rented one a couple of times and loved it, my dad didn't play it at all, but he liked duck hunt because he is a hunter.

[Renmiri]

My parents are usually pretty tolerant, but sometimes they're like, "You've been on that thing for 3 hours! Go watch some TV or something!"
I say, "But TV is boring and I don't do anything..."
"Doesn't matter! Do something else!"
That's so funny! I much rather have my kids play something interactive that teaches them to try harder and persevere than have them sit like couch potatoes watching TV

I do filter what video games my kids play though. No FPS, for combat only Supermario Bros and only bloodless RPG :) My oldest is 9 though ;)

[Rostum]

That's so funny! I much rather have my kids play something interactive that teaches them to try harder and persevere than have them sit like couch potatoes watching TV

I do filter what video games my kids play though. No FPS, for combat only Supermario Bros and only bloodless RPG :) My oldest is 9 though ;)

I agree. Some awesome education is gained through video games. I remember when I was little I had a fair few problem solving, puzzle and spelling games -- but they were actually fun!

You should consider adventure games for your kids. :) They involve a lot of thinking/brain storming, trial and error and problem solving. Kings Quest games are fairly kid-orientated too. Anyways, just a suggestion!

[Renmiri]

Great idea, I'll try those too :D

[escobert]

My mom once tried to play FFVII but couldn't read it well so gave up xD like she couldn't see the screen well. ANd my dad play medal of honor like it's his job.

[Breine]

For some reason parents just think that video games are the reason for everything bad (e.g. Columbine and whatnot), and that it makes kids lazy and so on. Well, maybe some gamers are lazy bums who just sit around all day and do nothing but play video games, but as far as I can see it's just a toy that let's you take part in a story and let you get an experience out of it. It's kind like a movie, only interactive. Anyway, I guess it's because the parents are part of an older generation where they didn't have cool toys like this when they were our age.. and they're kinda pissed about that.. hehe.

My parents don't really have anything against me playing video games. My father is even sometimes pretty fascinated by some of the games I play and will sometimes watch me play them.

[Ashi]

My entire family played video games before I was even born, so they don't consider it a bad thing now. In fact... they even prefer it over things I consider healthier, like going to the gym. Even though I am pretty much "grown up" now and way past requiring "supervision", but I get the feeling they think I'm safer hanging around my place with my video games rather than out there doing whatever.

The only thing they didn't like was when I was in high school/early college years and spent all night playing an MMORPG. And during the day I was either at classes or asleep. But even then it wasn't the video games that bothered them, it was the useless lifestyle.

My mother's favourite games are The Silent Hill series and Eternal Darkness (on GameCube), and she knows them pretty much by heart. Before that she used to play one of the pre N64 Zelda games and knew it like the back of her hand as well.

[Peter_20]

Heh, I envy you, Ashi.

Way back in 1998 I used to play Goldeneye 007 with a friend of mine, and I thought the violent game was gonna freak his mother out.
But she just went "shoot those bad guys", and she obviously played the game herself. :p

My mother does tend to love Pacman though, and my father was obsessed with Super Mario Bros 3 and Sokoban back in the day.

[Rostum]

I recently found out that when my sister and I were little, my parents would spend all night playing super mario brothers once we went to bed. I never knew this. XD

[escobert]

awesome xD My dad helped me beat the first Zelda when I was 5 :D

[Heath]

My father has always had an interest in computer games and the wallet to back it up. We usually had an unspoken agreement that he'd buy the console and I'd buy any games I wanted and it'd usually balance out fine. He was particularly into Doom, Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive, of course) and Tomb Raider. Tried to get him into a Ocarina of Time once but I don't think he really had the patience for it. My mother never had an desire to play them but my dad used to when he had the time for them. He certainly finished the first four Tomb Raider games by himself, at least. In fact, we used to help each other out with our games. Particularly Pilotwings 64 when he would do the hand glider levels, I'd do the jet pack ones and we'd split the gyrocopter ones between us.

For you, I agree with what Omecle said earlier. It's up to you what you want to do now and at the end of the day, your mother has to realise that you have different interests and enjoy playing computer games.

[Levian]

I'm 21 and I live in another town than my parents, so they haven't got much say in it, but they didn't mind when I lived at home either. I have a brother and sister, and they played more games than me, so I never really had any troubles there. My parents aren't any gamers, my mom played a little Mario 64 and that's about it. My dad got hooked on Puzzle Bobble for SNES a while back too.

I'll add in my siblings too 'cause they're a bit old. My sister, 32 years old, is mostly into survival horror, puzzles, adventure, etc. Everything from sierra type point n click games like Gabriel Knight to Resident Evil to Phoenix Wright. :p She even orders games from usa every now and then. Heck, she has both a Wii and a PS3. My brother, 29 years old, is mostly into WoW, racing games, FPS, etc.

So yeah, my taste is almost like my sister's. She doesn't like Final Fantasy, though. :p Tried to get her into it a few times, but I don't think she wants to like it.

[Mo-Nercy]

My parents don't dislike my gaming, they dislike that I might be sacrificing my education, my career, my physical health, by playing video games. I assure them that I'm not (even though, chances are, I am :D ) and it's okay.

[Rostum]

my physical health



http://blogs.theage.com.au/screenplay/wiifit.jpg

:D

[Ouch!]

My parents gave up on telling me not to play video games a long time ago. At this point, they don't interfere unless my school suffers because of it.

[KentaRawr!]

My Mom doesn't seem to mind my playing video games at all. She really respects it as a common hobby. As does my Dad (whom I helped beat Metal Gear Solid 3). They don't game themselves, though. My Mom seems to like the Wii, and right now, the only games that my Dad are interested in seem to just be Metal Gear games. He wants me to get MGS4. >_>

[Laddy]

My dad is a casual player, playing old-school and MMO RPG's, Military Shooters, Rythm Games, and Sports Games. My mom thinks they are a sadistic pleasure. :p

[Peegee]

My mother never liked me playing video games BUT it was because I played them so much my studies were neglected and etc etc, so that's not a bad reason to want me to not play them. However her method was to just ban me from playing video games, tv, etc, so that all I had to do with my free time was school and probably reading books.

Now some people will argue that virtually every form of hobby is an example of activities with no relevant long-term consequences for the better -- even weight lifting, eventually, will still result in your muscles deteriorating and you dying, so why bother with that? xD

As for my parents' generation versus mine, I'm sure my dad's played pacman and etc, and we've played video games at home since the days of mario bros (no atari system for us). However video games were always seen as a hobby. My father never said it, but when my uncle saw me about...3 years or so ago, he mentioned how I was playing video games a lot and that's not a productive use of my time. Shrug.

[escobert]

I'm 21 and I live in another town than my parents, so they haven't got much say in it, but they didn't mind when I lived at home either. I have a brother and sister, and they played more games than me, so I never really had any troubles there. My parents aren't any gamers, my mom played a little Mario 64 and that's about it. My dad got hooked on Puzzle Bobble for SNES a while back too.

I'll add in my siblings too 'cause they're a bit old. My sister, 32 years old, is mostly into survival horror, puzzles, adventure, etc. Everything from sierra type point n click games like Gabriel Knight to Resident Evil to Phoenix Wright. :p She even orders games from usa every now and then. Heck, she has both a Wii and a PS3. My brother, 29 years old, is mostly into WoW, racing games, FPS, etc.

So yeah, my taste is almost like my sister's. She doesn't like Final Fantasy, though. :p Tried to get her into it a few times, but I don't think she wants to like it.

I'm comming over to partay :cool:

[Dr. Acula]

As long as video games don't interfere with anything else in my life, my parents are fine with them. My dad even used to play Playstation with my brother and me when we were younger, just games like Crash Bandicoot and Medievil and stuff.

[Mr Cactuar]

My Mum doesn't seem to care much about me playing them. She knows its what I enjoy doing, and I still get out and stuff so thats ok. My Dad is the same, to an extent. Sometimes he'll pass my room, see me playing a game and say "what else did I expect" or he'll say "get out of fantasy world and listen" when he's talking. It does irritate me a bit but not too much. He does play some games though e.g he loves war games and when we got our first console (N64) he finished Mario 64 for me 1 night and taped it for me so I could watch it the next morning.

The thing is though, staying up playing video games is alot better then going out, getting drunk, possibly doing drugs and possibly getting someone pregnant/getting pregnant yourself.

Another reason, I think, why parent's might not like gaming is because of the expensiveness. It all adds up over time.