Hi, I'm new here I want to talk about video games.

Me and my family is really into video games. I've often found the controls difficult but I enjoy playing. The game consoles have changed SO much since I was young. I think they really are making more and more games for adults now. Have you heard about this video game bootcamp for mom's? Here's the article in the nypost.

Are you video game savvy? Your kids? Would you go to camp to learn about video games? Do you have a game console in your house? Any really fun games you've tried?


katnp

Hi!

I'm new too. In fact, this is my first post here. I was bouncing around the forums and saw your message and had to respond because I read that same article in the post and thought it was great! The whole video game thing is such a culture, it's invaluable for a parent to get involved and be able to talk the talk and honestly, I really enjoy playing games with my kids. You're totally right about the controls being insanely complex. I'm not so hot with them myself but I'm getting better.

We have two consoles in our house. An Xbox and, more recently, a Wii which is SO fun! We've been playing Trauma Center and Guitar Hero and both are great. I like the older stuff too and am pretty darn good at Mortal Kombat.

How bout you? What do you have/play?

Hi Donna, I'm a nOOb here too. Maybe we're the only one's that play video games here?? i'm just a big kid at heart. The article is right though, knowin (a little) about video games, does increase my coolness in their eyes.

My DH got our oldest a PS2 several years ago. Every once in a while I'll pick up a controller and play something. I love Guitar Hero, we had that for a while, I like tiger woods golf also. I'm not into buying new games for it, they cost way too much.

I do really want to get a Wii. I keep reading about it but I haven't tried one yet, don't know anyone that owns one, but it looks like great fun. Is it easier to use than the xbox?? What do you think of the controls?

Ugh! I just typed up a whole response to your message and when I went to post it the board had logged me out and I lost the whole thing! That is so frustrating!

Anyway... I'll be more careful this time.

It does seem we're the only ones out here talking about video games?! Maybe that boot camp will set more enthusiasts loose! I hope so. Surely there are more of us right?

To answer your question, yes, the Wii controls are a lot different than anything else I've ever played. In many cases you're using your whole body. Playing with the Wii is definitely not a sedentary activity. We've completely pooped ourselves out a number of times. It's really quite revolutionary and so fun. The whole family enjoys it.

We more or less stopped buying video games once we picked up the second console and just rent everything from gamefly.com. They're just like netflix but instead of movies, you rent video games. They have everything for all the different systems and all the latest releases. It's really helped us avoid buying games the the kids end up never playing again after a few weeks. With all the new stuff the kids want (or think they do) and two different systems it's the only way to go. I'd never be able to afford to buy everything but this way we can still play it all.

You actually can buy stuff you like from gamefly too. If you rent something and end up really liking it you can opt to keep it and they'll send you all the packaging and manuals. And, because it's a pre-played game you get it at a discount which is great. There are some super deals and you can actually try it out before you decide you want it. Love that!

We set up the account with parental controls so the kids can't get their hands on the mature stuff which is another nice feature if the kids want to get online and pick stuff out.

It would be a great way for you to try out new stuff and see what you like. There are some really fantastic games out there. I'm just beginning to scratch the surface.

Arggg! I've done that before, no fun. Thanks for taking the time to type it again.

The Wii looks so fun! I bet even my parents would have fun playing it with their grandchildren. I've heard that people are actually including the Wii in their exercise routine and loosing weight from playing it!! Lord know i could lose a couple inches.

Gamefly sounds like a fantastic idea! We have a stack of games that never get played. We tried renting from our local store but never got them back in time and the late fees add up. How long can you have the game with gamefly? The parent feature sounds nice, it would be great if the kids could pick out the games they want on their own and I wouldn't have to worry about what they're getting.

Wow! I'm really learning a lot thanks to you! Have you played any Final Fantasy? I also like the driving games like Grand Tourismo and Burnout. What's your favorite game for the Wii?

I've seen those articles about the Wii too! I saw something recently where there was a site/blog where people posted pictures of broken lamps and various household items that were broken while they were playing the Wii. Too funny. I can totally see it becoming a part of someone's workout routine. It's so clever on that end. Not to mention bridging the gap between parents and kids where the whole video game culture is concerned. It really sets the bar for where things are headed.

I hear you on the "stack of games that never get played." In fact, I'm packing up about a dozen of them to trade in with Gamefly. That's a new thing they started doing. As long as you've got all the packaging and manuals and the games are in good shape you can trade them in for credit with Gamefly. I just need to get them to the post office. Speaking of... to answer your question, you can keep whatever you rent from Gamefly as long as you want. It's the same as Netflix. When you're done with it you send it back and they'll ship out whatever is next on your queue. We have the two games a month plan but there are a variety to choose from.

I don't know if I have a favorite game for the Wii yet but we've been having a lot of fun with Mario Party 8 and I think the kids have put the Final Fantasy game you mention on the queue. I sort of let them be my ambassadors but I remember loving the racing games when I was kid so I'll put your suggestions on there too!

So glad I could answer your questions and help out! I wish there were more of us "grown-ups" out here talking about this stuff. Is it just that we're terminally hip?

Pregnancy SPAM