OT - need some gaming advice

[Melancer46]

You could probably find a 360 for somewhere around $200 if you look hard enough. That's probably the route that I would go, at least until the new systems have their first price drop.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Yeah, all our friends don't allow their kids to play shooter games. But because of older brother's my sons got exposed. So then my wife and I started playing Call of Duty 2 and not my boys have lost a little interest. It's not as cool since the parents started playing! One day, one of my sons friends calls up and asks if he was online. He replied, "No, that's my parents playing." Too funny! Now in my household my wife is the curse-word police. So we started playing Call of Duty and when the zombies start attacking she gets all excited and starts cursing like a sailor. My sons are snicker and I am laughing because it's just too funny. So now when my wife plays, my son says "Mom uses a bleep gun". Because she bleeps all the time.

I am mixed about the shooter games. Many, many times we have had the conversation games are make believe and you should never ever hurt anyone. It is a tough conversation. My son's also play Minecraft which is a little violent but teaches kids how to program and create 3D worlds in first person 3D interface. So my sons are really good at creating Minecraft worlds. It's a tough conversation about what is appropriate and what is just harmless fun.

Great post. My son plays Minecraft on his tablet all the time. Loves it. Is that something he can do on one of these games as well? And you're right, that is a bit more violent at times than I think we really see.

He's at the age where our old-fashioned rules about these things, and with cursing in general, is getting tougher to enforce.

 

[edowd26]

Well it certainly isn't helping the situation...

Does your son play COD with you?

Hes one. And since his birth the PS3 turns on for one thing and one thing only..... baby Einstein. This in its own right makes me believe toddlers are rolling on E.

 

[ImperialOrange]

Right now he plays Mario Cart, Little League World Series, Wii sports, and Lego Indiana Jones. I really have no idea what he plays at other people's houses which I suppose should be a question.

Yeah my son got himself in trouble for playing Call of Duty at the neighbors house. At 11 years old he didn't need to be playing games rated M.

That could be another factor, IE how many good titles does a system have with ratings you are comfortable allowing him to play. We'll let him play T but you have to research reviews. He came home with a 007 game that I looked up and turns out one of the levels takes place in a strip club so now he's spent his money on a game he's not allowed to play. Lesson learned.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Hes one. And since his birth the PS3 turns on for one thing and one thing only..... baby Einstein. This in its own right makes me believe toddlers are rolling on E.

HA! Forgot your son was that young. He seems mature for his age...

Love the baby Einstein. Used that for applesauce time when he was young. Then it was Thomas the Tank Engine. That show still gets my motor running.

 

[tee1222]

Don't allow shooter games? What the communism is up with that?

Flippin Canadians

 

[Trueblue25]

Get a ps3 or if you have the money a ps4. Worth it.

 

[edowd26]

HA! Forgot your son was that young. He seems mature for his age...

Love the baby Einstein. Used that for applesauce time when he was young. Then it was Thomas the Tank Engine. That show still gets my motor running.

Haha. Oh boy. I have no idea what it is about baby Einstein but whenever we put it on he comes to it like a moth to flame. Kids have the mentality of severe drug abusers.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

http://www.toysrus.com/buy/home-the...esis-classic-game-console-fb8200r-80-17580646

 

[ImperialOrange]

HA! Forgot your son was that young. He seems mature for his age...

Love the baby Einstein. Used that for applesauce time when he was young. Then it was Thomas the Tank Engine. That show still gets my motor running.

LM Freaking AO!

That's equal parts hilarious and creepy.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

LM Freaking AO!

That's equal parts hilarious and creepy.

Trust me, I know.

 

[jekelish]

You believe that hogwash? Video games don't make people murderers. I don't consider myself a gamer but my COD games are fun. And I was violent before I ever played a shooter game. I blame hockey and lacrosse.

Yeah, I love playing GTA and shooting hookers with rocket launchers but I haven't killed anyone. Knock on wood.

 

[edowd26]

Yeah, I love playing GTA and shooting hookers with rocket launchers but I haven't killed anyone. Knock on wood.

Just good clean fun.

 

[Orangezoo]

100 pct xbox with kinect. The Kinect sports games are a blast and good exercise. We have nearly every system at my house ( just got a PS4 a couple weeks ago) and I say all in on the 360 with Kinect.

 

[edowd26]

100 pct xbox with kinect. The Kinect sports games are a blast and good exercise. We have nearly every system at my house ( just got a PS4 a couple weeks ago) and I say all in on the 360 with Kinect.

Keep in mind this guy is 3inches shorter than my wife. So his vote only counts as a half.

 

[Orangezoo]

Keep in mind this guy is 3inches shorter than my wife. So his vote only counts as a half.

At least my vote counts. .5 is greater than 0.

 

[BayonneOrange]

Just got my boy the XBox One. He has the 360, but all the kids he plays with are getting the One and he wouldn't be able to play with his buddies if we didn't upgrade also.

I am another one of the no shooting games parents. 10 year olds don't need to be playing those.

 

[edowd26]

At least my vote counts. .5 is greater than 0.

I don't vote, it's un-American.

 

[Dave85]

Great post. My son plays Minecraft on his tablet all the time. Loves it. Is that something he can do on one of these games as well? And you're right, that is a bit more violent at times than I think we really see.

He's at the age where our old-fashioned rules about these things, and with cursing in general, is getting tougher to enforce.

I think today we parents have to have more difficult conversations with our kids about sex and violence. There's just way too much freakish behavior on the internet you can google in a click or two. I coach 5/6th grade basketball team and I had to get finger printed and had to take a class on the prevention of sexual abuse before they would let me coach. After taking the class I am now completely paranoid! It is just crazy out there. With so much exposure to all this yucky stuff our only defense with our kids, in my opinion, is to give them a clear understand of what is right and what is wrong. For example, all the PDA devices that do chatting. I told my kids no talk about anything having to do with sex. My wife monitors their devices so I imagine other parents do. I would hate for my kid to say something bad and one of our friends read it. And I told them never ever take any pictures of yourself and post them to your friends. And with social media, anything you post will be there forever so don't use your real name on social media sites.

Violence in video games seems kind of tame compared to all this other stuff. I don't have too much of a problem with video game violence because it is just pretend. I tell my kids over and over again you never hurt a person in real life. But some of our friends completely forbid these types of games for their kids so there's some tension at times. Sometimes when you forbid something that just makes them desire it more. It's a difficult to be a parent in today's digital age. In terms of violence, we have two cats. Many times I have taught our kids to treat the cat with respect and that the cat is not a toy. I hope this translates to real people and they have a sense of empathy for other creatures. There's just so many things you have to protect your kids against and teach them how to behave well in today's world.

 

[two3zone]

Just got my boy the XBox One. He has the 360, but all the kids he plays with are getting the One and he wouldn't be able to play with his buddies if we didn't upgrade also. I am another one of the no shooting games parents. 10 year olds don't need to be playing those.

With a zombie apocalypse immanent, we could use all hands on deck. Must train them now!

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Okay. More questions. Is it better to get the 250 gb system or buy the 4 hmm system with the kinect bundle? the 250 bundle comes with two m rated games that he can't use for awhile.

 

[HakAttack]

Okay. More questions. Is it better to get the 250 gb system or buy the 4 hmm system with the kinect bundle? the 250 bundle comes with two m rated games that he can't use for awhile.

If you're doing any downloading of free games from the XBox Live games store, you'll want the bigger hard drive. 4gb is for folks who really only are saving game data/progress, etc. Any downloading of apps, games, etc, you'll want the 250gb.

As far as the games, I can only assume you're looking at this...http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-250G...F8&qid=1387320873&sr=8-4&keywords=xbox+250+gb

Halo 4 is a shooter game, but it's more Sci-Fi than Call of Duty shoot other humans shooters. Tomb Raider is Tomb Raider...an adventure game starring a sexified female protagonist.

The 30 day included XBox live is good though, it'll give you chance to try it out to see if you like it before shelling out $ for a longer XBox live membership. XBox live Gold is about $60 a year, but you have to have it in order to use the XBox 360 to stream Netflix, ESPN, etc. As well as play any multiplayer games online & take advantage of the free game downloads. But as stated, you'll get 30 days free with the package.

You can pick up a used kinect from gamestop, etc if you're looking to save some $. The kinect will work with any XBox 360. I have an older white XBox 360, added a larger hard drive when I needed it and added the kinect later. Get the bundle with the larger Hard Drive. You'll wish you did later if you don't. Adding the Kinect is cheaper than buying a bigger hard drive.


Hope this helps!

 

[O'Cafe]

In the same delima as you for 11 year old, just picked up Xbox 360 250mb with Halo and tomb raider for $199 @ best buy, they honor online prices but need to ask for it. Also picked up madden 25 thru amazon for $20 less than @ Best buy.

Good luck.

 

[timkay99]

Just got my boy the XBox One. He has the 360, but all the kids he plays with are getting the One and he wouldn't be able to play with his buddies if we didn't upgrade also.

I am another one of the no shooting games parents. 10 year olds don't need to be playing those.

This is the most important thing. As a gamer pre-online blowup (was a system link guy), I didn't mind playing games on my own.

Now, the system I am getting is 100% determined by what my buddies are getting b/c online play has become so huge.

CusefaninVT, if your son games with his friends, it would definitely be worth reaching out to their parents and see if they are getting a new system or what they have. This could also be a convenient time to see what types of games they play at each others' houses.

 

[Timonen]

Admins - feel free to move this to the OT board, but I posted here because I figured lots of folks here are gamers.

I've got a 10 year old son who is very active, and has had a Wii for several years now. One of his favorite games is Madden, and they are no longer making Madden for Wii. So we are thinking maybe it's time to upgrade.

Recommendations for a replacement gaming system? He's never done online stuff and we don't allow the shooter games.

I ignored this thread for a while and then thought "wait, it could be about craps or relative house odds of casino games!" which is my favorite subject in the world so I looked...and now I'm done.