Washington Post: father and son game to learn

by Christopher Grant { Dec 28th 2005 at 4:30PM }

On Monday Washington Post op-ed columnist Sebastian Mallaby wrote about his 11-year old son, videogames, and maintaining a clear parental consience. To the claim that videogames cause violence, Mallaby counters with examples from games that teach: America's Army "includes an opportunity to learn how to be a medic" while Age of Empires 3 "conveys a sense of history." His son, who plays the MMO RuneScape, described "a classic boom-bust cycle" while discussing the economics of the game.

It's great, however rare, to read stories in the mainstream media praising video games instead of vilifying them. It's especially great when they're written by parents of gamers who understand and can communicate the unique capabilities video games offer.

[Via buttonmashing]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Cyberclaws @ Dec 28th 2005 4:41PM

I liked it better when you reported how bad video games are, it kept the rebel in me alive. Now I'm just going to give up gaming. NOT

miguel @ Dec 28th 2005 4:44PM

Yeah! Where are all the articles about how "jiggle tech" stregthens young mens arms ?

ali @ Dec 28th 2005 4:45PM

"America's Army "includes an opportunity to learn how to be a medic" LMFAO

the game teaches kids to hate "people who dress funny". it doesn't do anything but spread hate and train brainless killing machines.

BK @ Dec 28th 2005 5:06PM

It's sad, but Civilization helped me with both my vocab and history back in HS.

Jago @ Dec 28th 2005 5:13PM

""America's Army "includes an opportunity to learn how to be a medic" LMFAO

the game teaches kids to hate "people who dress funny". it doesn't do anything but spread hate and train brainless killing machines."

Oh...give...me...a...break...

So I guess Super Mario Bros teaches everyone that all women are damsels-in-destress and in capable of protecting themselves right?

LordGavin @ Dec 28th 2005 5:19PM

i've gotten a history question right once or twice because of AOE

ali @ Dec 28th 2005 5:42PM

no super mario isn't meant to be taken seriously. but anyway i just while we're on the topic of violent videogames i wanted to say something about joseph leiberman. we all know how hard he's trying to ban violent videogames and all but you see the thing about this is that he supports the war in iraq. now if that's not hypocricy then i don't know what is. he thinks virtual violence is wrong but but the real violence is ok?

Jago @ Dec 28th 2005 6:01PM

Don't hurt yourself dude...America's Army is just a video game. There are plenty of other war games as well...so do you think the same about them as well?

Plus the fact that you basically bashed the military is downright disgraceful. The military's purpose is not to ""hate people who dress funny" and if you think that is what their is then you have some major issues.

The military are made up of people from ALL ethnicities and they VOLUNTEER...there is no draft...and no one forces them to sign up.

Go back in your cave you troll...

EatingPie @ Dec 28th 2005 7:15PM

Hello? Just a video game??

It was made by the army to attrack potential recruits, and to give some insight into the workings of the army.

I'm a major player in the gaming world, but I'll say I'm pretty damned sick of the reactionary BS on both sides.

Games... YES GAMES... do indeed influence people for good or ill. People... YES PEOPLE... however must be responsible for how they respond to that influence.

It's nice to see some positive press. But I hope people will stop this either/or crap (causes violence vs. totally inocuous) and start talking about the influence of games and the responsibilities of the players.

-Pie

Jago @ Dec 28th 2005 8:01PM

Yea...it is just a video game. I've played the game and I don't have the urge to kill "people who dress funny" and I wasn't interested in joining the military either.

Just b/c it was funded by the military doesn't make it a bad thing either.

Games are not the only thing that influence people...plus if people are influenced by a game, movie, TV show, etc. then that person has issues.

I question your "I'm a major player in the gaming world"...b/c if you won't reveal who you are then we can't really believe it.

ali @ Dec 28th 2005 9:17PM

don't get me wrong. i think its simply absurd to blame games for the stupid (and sometimes violent) acts that some people commit. they can be just as easily influenced by movies and music. also, i'm not bashing the military. i understand that they are people who are risking their lives but the governmnet is using them for the wrong cause. and back to videogames, maybe your not influenced by these military videogames (and i'm especially pointing at the kuma war games) but if you ever play these games online and hear the kind of horrible things that i do, you'll realize that some people ARE influnced by these games.

Jago @ Dec 28th 2005 10:00PM

"i understand that they are people who are risking their lives but the governmnet is using them for the wrong cause"

That's based on a matter of opinion and not proven fact...

"but if you ever play these games online and hear the kind of horrible things that i do, you'll realize that some people ARE influnced by these games."

I haven't used a headset when playing some games online simply for that purpose. Plus to put the blame on the games for those people talking that way is irrisponsible. The game didn't teach them that how to talk that way...those people were already like that. Saying that the game influenced them to talk like that is like saying Doom caused Columbine.