Do you think gaming is for kids alone?

[Heatman]

I came up in another discussion where it was mentioned that gaming is for kids.

What's your take on this? 

[Shagger]

Not only will I state categorically that gaming is not for kids alone, I can even prove it. And that's not me being a 30-somthing grown man trying to justify what some might regard as a juvenile hobby, I promise. This is about the facts.

 

Back in th 70's and 80's, gaming was very much a kid's pastime. Games were only made for and marketed to children, whether it be in the booming arcades or on the early home consoles like the Atari 2600, Intellevision, Colecovision, various Pong Consoles and Vectrex consoles. Think and say what you will about the games, there were obviously primitive, but there were kids toys. Even some of the big names in gaming like Nintendo were toy makers first and that was thier pull into the video game's industry. So yes, games were toys.

 

But then in the 90's things started to change. As games became more ambitious and detailed, the line between action and violence started to get blurry. Games like Mortal Kombat and Carmageddon caused controversies with thier violence and detailed gore. Parents were angry that toys like this were allowed on the market, because face it they were toys, so to me they actually had a point. Something had to change. Video Games needed regulation.

 

It wasn't long after this that things like these started to appear on game game boxes.

 

 

The moment this started to happen, video games were not toys anymore. The are rated with the same scrutiny as movies and TV broadcasts, making them an entertainment medium. Like any entertainment medium, any work that within it is made for a target audience. They can be made for very young children, but they can also be made only for adults and everyone in between.

 

So for me, it's not even open to debate. Video games are not kid's toys. If they were, there wouldn't be any of these ratings and warning labels. Organizations like the ESRB and PEGI wouldn't even exist. The fact that they exist and enforce these rating systems is actually what has allowed video games to evolve into the entertainment medium they are now. An entertainment medium that can, and does, cater to adults as much as anyone else. Yes, organizations like the ESRB and PEGI aren't prefect, but we should all be grateful that they exist. Without them and the systems they enforce, video games probably still would be toys and games like The Last of Us, Metal Gear Solid, Grand Theft Auto, Assassin's Creed, The Witcher, The Elder Scrolls just to name few would not have been allowed to exist.

Edited August 11, 2022 by Shagger

[NightmareFarm]

Nope. Never understood how gaming is "for kids". Does that make any leisure activity for kids?

[m76]

If I thought that I'd have stopped playing videogames long ago.

[Withywarlock]

On the contrary, I think it's becoming less suitable what with more easily accessible (read: predatory) means of getting money from children and young audiences. Adults are of course susceptible to these things (see gambling, among other vices), but children are far more susceptible to the tricks that seperate them from their pocket/parents' money. If one day my partner and I do decide to have kids, I'd introduce them firstly to older systems and games that lacked this sort of stuff. Call it totalitarian, draconian or heavens forbid gatekeeping, but I'll gleefully take that if it means protecting my potential children from the practices that no longer appall in today's gaming landscape.

[Empire]

A grown man playing videogames is not looked down upon. That is a standard part of society now. People are now shocked if you do not play videogames. Maybe its different in South Asia, but in Europe the general stance towards Videogames is changing. Big papers are writing about games in their arts section, there are several famous people playing games and many of the 90s kids that grew up with games, still play. I think this is changing at the moment and in 10 or 20 years from now, it will be a hobby like watching movies.

[Heatman]

On 4/22/2022 at 8:33 PM, Withywarlock said:

On the contrary, I think it's becoming less suitable what with more easily accessible (read: predatory) means of getting money from children and young audiences. Adults are of course susceptible to these things (see gambling, among other vices), but children are far more susceptible to the tricks that seperate them from their pocket/parents' money. If one day my partner and I do decide to have kids, I'd introduce them firstly to older systems and games that lacked this sort of stuff. Call it totalitarian, draconian or heavens forbid gatekeeping, but I'll gleefully take that if it means protecting my potential children from the practices that no longer appall in today's gaming landscape.

This is good strategy that's going to be very helpful for you and even others that's going to copy it. Although, the challenge would be that they would still be exposed to those games you don't want them to be exposed to first when they mingle with their peers. 

[Justin11]

I am of the opinion of @Shagger, video games were for the kids between 70s and 80s when it was coming into the entertainment limelight. It has evolved since then, no more child's thing, it has diversified being an adult form of entertainment mainly. You can see the restriction which the Chinese restricted their teens not play longer, due to their academic endeavours and other welfare, so it won't eat up their mind. I've been playing since I was five, and I won't stop playing until end of time. 

[Darth]

Not at all. I think gaming is for everyone as long as you're interested in it. There are literally games for adults so I would think it's quite silly for people to think that games are only for little kids.

[Heatman]

1 hour ago, Darth said:

Not at all. I think gaming is for everyone as long as you're interested in it. There are literally games for adults so I would think it's quite silly for people to think that games are only for little kids.

Some hospitals even incorporate playing video games as a therapy for treating some disorders in patients. 

[Justin11]

I never went to the hospital before, maybe that's why I never discovered the presence of video games around their environment. Such is nice, makes the patience who love playing video games to ease their burden.

[Heatman]

12 hours ago, Justin11 said:

I never went to the hospital before, maybe that's why I never discovered the presence of video games around their environment. Such is nice, makes the patience who love playing video games to ease their burden.

That's not used in all hospitals mind you, so don't go to any hospital you see and be looking for where they use video games playing treatment therapy. 

[Darth]

21 hours ago, Heatman said:

Some hospitals even incorporate playing video games as a therapy for treating some disorders in patients. 

Yeah and that's honestly a great thing for them. Especially for the patients that have to stay at hospitals for a longer period of time so video games would help keep them entertained and keep their mental health up since sometimes it can be hard to spend all day on a hospital bed.

[Heatman]

2 minutes ago, Darth said:

Yeah and that's honestly a great thing for them. Especially for the patients that have to stay at hospitals for a longer period of time so video games would help keep them entertained and keep their mental health up since sometimes it can be hard to spend all day on a hospital bed.

Honestly, when it's used well, it's bound to have positive impact on patients especially with kids. 

Here is an article I found on therapeutic gaming and digital technology. 

https://www.mottchildren.org/mott-support-services/cfl-therapeutic-gaming-and-digital-technology

[Justin11]

9 hours ago, Heatman said:

That's not used in all hospitals mind you, so don't go to any hospital you see and be looking for where they use video games playing treatment therapy. 

😛, I know it won't be possible in all hospitals, because not all are well equipped like the standard hospitals. I don't care about that either, because I don't want to fall sick to go hospital.