My problem is at least other games have some benefits. Hand eye coordination, reflexes, critical thinking, problem solving skills, reading and comprehension skills.

Mobile games are designed to be as simple, accessible and most importantly easy as possible. They want you to feel like you’re winning over and over and over with no real effort on your part. Obviously there are some exceptions, but still.

For sure. I’ve never outright banned it if they get access such as from their nan or play them on their laptop when they have time on it. I agree with everything you said. I’m just also not going to let them sit on my phone mindlessly playing them either.

Those apps make them want to pay. They make them want to play every X amount of time to get daily and timed bonuses. They play stupid ads that convince them to download more shitty games that do the same thing.

I don’t tell them what to do. But I do have conversations with them so they think about things. I never tell them I think the games are rubbish. Maybe they love that game. And I don’t like adults telling kids things they love are trash. I just try to guide them best I can.

It’s complicated to navigate.

It’s so hard. I have an N64, Wii, Wii U, Switch, PS5. The N64, Wii and Wii U have every game available on them. Switch and PS5 have decent libraries.

I set a laptop up with emulators of the main consoles before N64 (Nintendo/Sega/Handhelds etc) with the top 100 games of each, all in a nice emulation station interface with box art and video previews, and my personal favourites favourited. I set up steam family sharing with my library of 500 games (with inappropriate ones filtered out but still massive).

Didn’t ever buy them an ipad/tablet and never let them use my phone. Taught them how to use all of the things mentioned. Commonly play couch multiplayer games on these things with them. They’re not bad at games either. Beat Celeste, Undertale, Super Metroid as a few examples.

And YET I’ll still find my kids on the laptop playing rubbish flash games and shit, or asking their Nan to let them play on her phone.

Metroidvania is a stupid name and always has been. I say this with those 2 series being 2 of my favourite and metroidvania being one of my favourite genres.

Bullet heaven isn’t too bad though.

Enjoy it man. Truly. Mine are 10 and 13. 5 years until she’s an adult. I remember when she started school at 5. I know it’s cliché but time does go by. Make as much of it “all fun” as you can. Within reason of course haha.

That’s true. I think the best thing anyone can do for themselves is mitigate as much of that as you can. Obviously you can be dealt a shit hand and get a physical or mental impairment as you get older that’s out of your control. But if you can stay as mentally and physically healthy as possible you can definitely raise your chances of being one of those 70 year old tanks you see destroying the rock climbing walls and stuff.

And unless you get severe parkinsons or something I still think there are many fulfilling things you can do at home.

But at the end of the day it’s about working with what you have. I understand it can be a huge adjustment when someone that has done the same thing for 40 years is forced into retirement and their world is turned upside down. I know it’s not all simple. But I’ve seen a streamer that can only move their head playing COD with a mouth controller. I think just about everyone can find something if they try.

I substitute socialising with small streaming channels. Like the ones that have less than 5-10 people watching ever. You can come and go as you please and no one cares, and you can make real connections and have actual conversions with both the streamer and other viewers. People with channels that small aren’t doing it for the money, they’re doing it to have people to chill with while they play.

Some would say they aren’t real friends but I think there’s a point you can get to where I would disagree.

Guess everyone’s different. I’m a stay at home dad with a wife that works and I’m incredibly happy doing chores for a couple hours then indulging my hobbies until school pickup. I have time to exercise. I have time to cook good meals (and learn to do so). It’s been 13 years and no sign of getting sick of it yet. She has a high paying job that she’s happy in and is someone that would tell me if she had an issue. This was suggested by her.

I don’t know how anyone can get bored without work. There are 1000 things that you can do as “work” that surely there must be some that any given person would enjoy. Learning music, language, gardening, coding, makeup, design, art, games, woodwork, exercise I could go on and on and on.

I could somewhat understand 50+ years ago. But we have the INTERNET now. We have unprecedented access to entertainment and knowledge. Anything you could ever want to know or learn or watch is available to you. And if you find the online resources inadequate for learning to play that obscure instrument or practise speaking that language, I bet you you can find someone to teach you over video call.

Judge away but I’m happy and don’t know how anyone could find working better. The only thing working truly gives you is money. Any sense of fulfilment or purpose I guarantee can be found elsewhere as well.

That’s not to say work CAN’T be fulfilling or meaningful though. Just that it’s not the only path or unique to working like people like to make out.

There’s like 300 n64 games in existence. You can find it.

Yeah, I stayed on xp until I got a new pc during 7, then I stayed on 7 until I got a new pc during 10. I’ll probably stay on 10 until whatever is after 11 comes out, even though I know better, because I just don’t care enough.

Kmart and target both sell literal “poker kits” with decks of cards and chips with no restriction on who can buy it. In the toy section with the other board games no less.

Where’s “New report claims sports fans spend more time watching sport / videos about sport than playing sport”.

This isn’t some new, crazy, hard to understand concept.

That was absolutely a thing when I was a kid with playstation and N64, the difference being it was only a couple games at most per year to have such an effect, and you only had to buy the game. You didn’t feel the need to spend $1000 over the next couple years buying each new cosmetic that all your friends have for $10-20 a pop.

You also got the value of, you know, playing and enjoying that game. If you spend $60 on a game you play for the next month, that’s far more value than getting 3-6 skins at one every week or 2 and basically never using it again after you get the next one and honestly not really adding any actual value or fun overall to the time you do spend playing the game.

Except for the people that try to cheat to do it.

Lawyers don’t even try to represent themselves if they’re taken to court. They’ll be the first to tell you you need a lawyer no matter who you are. There’s no scenario where it isn’t a bad idea to try to represent yourself.

That’s exactly it, it depends on the person more than the game. No game would be expected to be infinitely replayable, but there absolutely are people that will infinitely play a single game.

Game mechanics should not be patentable, change my mind.

I still don’t know how half the games at timezone can be allowed for kids.

The best sims game is The Sims Bustin’ Out.