Crackdown for the XBOX 360.

[PorscheGuy79]

I'm not much for GTA clones, but this isnt a GTA clone. Probably one of the best games out for the system save Gears of War. Deffinatly worth a look.

[Dueller]

PG79...I have no idea what you're talking about. But could you give me some advice. I have an 18 yo step son that seems to spend an inordinate amount of time playing "Halo".

I've watched and listened to him play and I can see where it is a source of entertainment, but how much is too much? I'm not concerned about him going "Columbine" on me but he has developed so many online "friends" it is one of his primary sources of social interaction....it seems to just suck so much time in his day.

[on2wheels52]

Dueller
I'm sure every kid is different but mine appears to not have suffered any ill effects from seemingly massive doses of Halo I & II. He's had six or eight kids at the house linked up to two TV's, even the wife is greatly amused at their comments re game play. He and his buddies helped at a Halo tournament his school, proceeds aided his FIRST team project.
Has moved on to other games but Halo is a standard to compare.
Jim

[Dueller]

Matt...please excuse me for hijacking your thread

Jim...

I'm not concerned about it affecting him adversely in terms of violence or whatever. I'm more concerned about the amount of time he spends on it. Its more like an unconscious habit that he uses to kill time. Unless he is focused on something more entertaining (like playing ball or dirt biking or working out or hunting), he jumps online and will play for hours on end. Also seems to be something he turns to when he wants to avoid something he doesn't enjoy (like studying...lol). His grades haven't suffered per se, but they aren't stellar either.

It may be that his generation has grown up in worlds where every waking moment has been planned by parents, teachers, coaches, etc and he doesn't know how to budget time on their own.

I'm concerned about him taking it to college and missing out on a lot of the social contacts since he has this whole online cadre of acquaintenances. OTOH he is starting Ole Miss in the fall and given the quality of Coeds there, I'm probably worrying for naught.......at least about video games

[PorscheGuy79]

By all means, take it away. I'm more than happy to shed some light on the issue myself.

It's a phase, to some extent. In the world that we live in its now very easy to compare video games to playing ball or working out. Obviously not physical activites they have become national pastimes just the same. Where-as you would have grown up gaining muscle, your son probably has hand eye cordination that could rivial a fighter ace (he's probably as good of a pilot as well thanks to games like Blazing Angels). Anyway, my point is somewhat spread out but I think its not something that deems a huge amount of worry. The social and physical aspects that the games bring are not necessarily as bad as most make them out to be, their benifits are just different.

Many of the guys I DE with blame my lap times on growing up playing video games like Grand Turismo, which lend me better hand eye cordination as well as a inate sense of memorization of the track in a very short time.

I also like to add that I am an tweener of the video game world. I grew up with computers and video games but in their primative form. Today I just get online and get my butt handed to me by a 11 year old british kid making cleaver and humorous jabs at my playing ability.

[Tervuren]

I'm not much into game consoles as there isn't the modibilty I love. I like creating my own content. I just finnished this Lego-ish open wheeler for Racer a few days ago.

I'm now working on a fantasy Lego world track on a black asteroid to go with it. I love the ability to make almost anything I like, and then drive it on the computer. It does take a fair bit of time. Others, enjoy just turning something on and driving, varies from person to person I guess.

[Dueller]

Thanks, guys, for the reassurance. And Matt, thanks for letting me hijack.

I'm new to this step dad thing, having no kids of my own (and all of the sudden I have twin 16 y.o. dtrs and the son who will be 18 in a few days). I'm truly blessed as they are wonderful people who have brought so much to my little selfish world. Its kinda scary as I have none of the horror stories most step dads tell. They're well adjusted, athletic, good work ethic, involved in the community, respectful, bright, yadadadadadadada. No surliness or typical teenaged angst. Just waiting for the other shoe to drop...lol

I guess my concern with the son is that I see how easily distracted he can be and worry that at the expense of devoting the time necessary for his college studies in the fall he will get lost in his gaming. But, all I can do is give him a chance to do it right, I s'pose.

Thanks again

jim

[Moses]

My son can play Gears of War for days.

I didn't want his school work to suffer, so he can only play weekends. Truth is, I like the 360 too. I just finished demolishing a room full of 14 year olds in Call of Duty 2. Finished first in 4 straight games. They hate it when I tell them how old I am. Hoo-Rah!

[Dueller]

So, Doc...and the rest of you...would you leave it up to him as to whether he should take it off to college? Or do you have any suggestions as to how to subtely wean him from it so its his decision?

Like I say I;m a neophyte at this sorta thing.

[Facey]

hey
i'm a thrid year university student. honours, and i work in the research lab.

i have a 360. consider myself amoung the elite halo 2 players (lol)...well i don't admit it, but when someone asks....

from my studies i have found evidence that cannot be argued with : playing violent video games makes people (usually young boys) more violent.

saying that i have played video games my entire life, and am 10x more violent in a heated hockey game then i have ever been as a result of gaming.

-its easy to waste tons of my doing it, i mainly play nhl07 now...but man gears or war and halo2 can be fun....

as long as it is used as a break, and not the activity itself its fine. I have a friend who gets consumed by video games....

in the 2nd half of first year i was lazy, all i did was eat/sleep/study/drink/play vids.... as a result my grads breifly faltered..... physical exercise is a much better break...i play hockey 3 times a week now, and try and get out for one porsche event..... more then enough lesiure time.


-mind you...i'm saying this having just played vids until a stupid hour.....

[Seahawk]

Originally posted by Moses
My son can play Gears of War for days.

I didn't want his school work to suffer, so he can only play weekends. Truth is, I like the 360 too. I just finished demolishing a room full of 14 year olds in Call of Duty 2. Finished first in 4 straight games. They hate it when I tell them how old I am. Hoo-Rah!

Weekends only here as well.

I have yet to win ANYTHING, though.

The horror

[PorscheGuy79]

So Nick, you fancy yourself LEET? haha.

You wanna send me a friend request? gametag = Fatum Legatus

[TWork]

I've played video games pretty much my whole life (now in my mid-30's). I have yet to find any adverse effect. For youths, I think the key, like with everything else, is moderation. I think the 'on weekends' thing is a great idea.

Slightly off the Gears of War topic -- while I've always liked video games, I never got much out of the GTA-car type games because the controllers were a real buzzkill. The 911 project is still on blocks and I was jonesing for a drive, so I made a bit of an impulse by and picked up that new wireless steering wheel thing of the Xbox 360. Makes the world of difference. I've been playing Project Gotham and it's actually quite good. Each car actually has a different feel and the graphics are great.

[Facey]

might have to take your word and get one... i feel like forza would be 10x better with some proper feedback.