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Best Video Games for Girls

Most people think of boys being the gamers of the world, but there are girls who can give the guys a run for their money. So what are some games that are geared toward girls? Now it would depend on the girl’s age and preference. Not all girls are into the flowers and dolls. Some girls like many of the same games that the boys enjoy playing. But for the sake of argument this will focus on the girls who fit the stereotypical model of sugar, spice and everything nice.

There are several online game sites specifically for girls such as Games2Girls which has games in relation to cooking, dress up, make up and much more. Girl Games 1 is another site with dress up games and other games designed specifically for little girls. There are quite a few games designed for girls for video game consoles. Many of the Petz games are geared toward little girls just like the Bratz games.

The best way to determine what to get is to spend time with your little girl and play some games with her. As you learn what her interests are you will be better able to determine which games will be best for your child. The games do not have to be specifically made for little girls. Your little girl may like a car racing game just as much as your little boy, so do not assume that you have to get the game that screams of yellows and pinks with the flowers and the cute puppies. Take the time to get to know your child and what she loves to do. You may learn something new and be surprised. Play games and have family time.

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Should You Buy Your Young Child Game Systems or Computers?

As your child gets older their requests go from the doll or toy race car to an iPod or a laptop. Should young children get such luxury items, or are they necessities in today’s society? It would probably depend on who you ask as to the answer to that question. Many individuals from older generations are going to say they are luxury items not necessary for a young child, while someone from a younger generation may have a different opinion.

Individuals in their 30′s and 40′s would probably have mixed feelings. These individuals grew up in a rapidly changing time where they can remember not having a lot of technology, but as teenagers the technology was being developed and first introduced. Therefore as a generation we were just as fascinated with the gadgets and the new products that came along. We can remember the excitement of the original Atari video game systems and having to go to a store to play it because our parents couldn’t afford the system and was addicted to Pac Man, Kangaroo, or Donkey Kong. Now things are so much different but we are still just as fascinated. So when things come out and our kids ask for them, we want them just as much.

The key is to teach your children responsibility and that they have to earn the items they receive. It is never a good idea to just give children anything they ask for without requiring them to do something to earn it, even if it is just them cleaning their room.  We all remember wanting something as a child and often repeat the actions of our parents. Make sure you show responsibility if you choose to buy game systems or computers for your children.

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Best Game System for Young Children

You like to play video games but adult video games and video game systems are not meant for young children. So what is the best video game system if you have young children that are becoming old enough to begin the journey into a digital world?  There are several things to consider when buying a video game system for your child, such as how sturdy the system is, how much it costs and what games are available for the system?

Depending on each child how the need for a sturdy video game system may vary. You may have a child who is very gentle with everything or a child that destroys anything they touch. For the latter you should also take cost into consideration. If you are going to have to replace a system every other month then you may want to consider something relatively inexpensive.

For younger children between about 4 to 7 an educational game such as Leapster is a very good choice. This game allows a child to learn while having fun. As your child gets older you can gradually progress to other educational devices until you feel they are old enough to move on to the more popular systems such as Playstation, Xbox or Wii. Edutaining Kids offers a rev

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Best PC Video Games

When you read about video games you often think of Xbox, Playstation or other gaming systems. Yet, some still love the world of PC games. So what are some of the popular PC games at this time or even of the past decade? Are there good games out there or do you have to have a gaming system to enjoy the various game titles?

Edge listed a top 100 list of PC games since 2000 and there are some very interesting titles. Some you may remember playing and some that are still available to entertain you and your kids. The number one spot goes to The Sims.  This game has had a variety of spin-off games, but it is still considered the best selling PC games of all time. There are several other titles in this series that have made it into the Top 100 list.  Other games on the top ten of the list include some old favorites World of Warcraft, Age of Mythology, and even Zoo Tycoon. The top 100 also has a variety of games from Atari Arcade Hits to Halo Combat Evolved.

Of course there will always be individuals who will have their favorites and disagree with the placement of some of the video games on the various best of lists. Many of the video games that are available for gaming systems are also available for the PC. So, just look for the PC logo on the video game box to determine whether it can be played on your computer. What some may consider the best may not be what you do, but take time to try some of them out and you may be surprised how fun they can be.

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Online Games a Family Affair

One of the best features of the Internet is the ability to play games. There are hundreds of gaming sites on the Internet that allow adults and children alike to play different games. With all the games out there it can be hard to choose what types of games you should play with your family. Here is a look at the popular online games that are available for every member of your family.

Sprout kids: Sprout Kids is a great place for children to play games on. The games are geared for the younger preschool audience but it teaches children how to use the computer and how to type. It also has a lot of educational games that encourages children to learn to read and teaches them how to identify shapes, colors and how to add.

Pogo Games: Pogo is a great gaming site for anyone in the family. There are games that will appeal to the younger children such as Stack’em and Puck’s Peak. While there are games that will appeal to the adults like Boggle, Scrabble, Risk and Tumble Bees. There are over 150 different games on Pogo and all of them have great colors and graphics that will attract any gamer’s attention.

Online Casino Games: Casino games are purely an adult only game. There are so many online casino games available on the Internet it is hard to pick just one gaming site. There are sites where you can play a number of different casino games from blackjack, seven different types of poker and even online slot machines.

Remember online safety is important when you have children playing online games. If you are playing online casino games it is a good idea to make sure your children have their own user accounts on the computer so they do not have access to your online casino games. After all, they still have a few years to go before they can play those fun games!

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Violence in Video Games

One of the main complaints by many parents about video games is in regards to the amount of violence that is contained in many of the current titles. Violence seems to be everywhere and it is very difficult to protect our children from exposure to violence. Video games are no exception. Yet, you can do your research to find out what video games are appropriate for children and which are not good games for your child to play.

Parenting.com has a list of ten violent video games to avoid for your children. These video games include Medal of Honor, Call of Duty, Fallout: New Vegas, Castlevania, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, Dead Rising 2, Halo: Reach, Naughty Bear, Mafia II, and the final game on the list is Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days. These games all have a high level of violence. Some have a great deal of profanity and sexual content. After reading the reviews it makes one even wonder if they are appropriate for adults.

There is no way to completely shelter your children from the worst aspects of the world, but you can try to educate them about violence without providing games. The debate about whether violence in video games can make children violent will continue to rage on, but as a parent one should use appropriate judgment as to what you allow your child to view and play. Children must be taught about the difference in fantasy and reality and it is up to the parent to provide a proper role model to follow. Although the games are violent and intended for adults often they find their way into the hands of children. This means that parents should be supervising what is being played. If you as a parent play the video game and cringe at the sight of what you are playing then it is definitely not appropriate for your child.

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Are video games distracting?

There are times when in certain gatherings it is tempting to argue whether or not video games are addictive and distracting. When a negative aunt at a holiday gathering nay-says a game given as a gift, one might want to say something.

A video game player who is old enough might want to say, “Oh, they aren’t so bad.”

The argument may carry on towards evidence of hand-eye coordination and successful integration into modern society. It may even reach that sometimes necessary phrase regarding the nature of the “times we live in.”

However, all of those arguments will be countered soundly with a few basic responses. And these very firm arguments against video game are so reasonable and grounded in evidence that they will likely keep that video game defender from ever speaking the first word.

The aunt will start with something like, “In my day we played outside.”

This, of course, is a stab at the strength and virility of the video game player in general. It is not just an allusion toward the general healthiness of fresh air. It is as if to say, “I would have been able to fight off a mountain lion when I was ten. You would probably be eaten because you spend too much time playing your games.”

The second argument she will front, however, is even more devastating because of it’s universally true nature. Playing a video game, any video game is a task which requires concentration. That said, it’s not the sort of endeavor to undertake whilst also attempting to have a conversation with someone.

The aunt will illustrate the negative manifestation of this truth by stating, “When he’s got his head stuck in those things he doesn’t have a clue what’s going on.”

True enough. Then again, that’s probably because they are so much fun.

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RPG in my hands?

The very essence of the role playing games genre is apparently to transplant time. This could also be known as wasting time like watching movies on a VLC Player all day, but more accurately it is the transferal of time from the real world, into the other manufactured world.

Part of the attraction to this process is the fact that RPG worlds are governed by a much simpler form of rules than the real world. Because a person knows precisely what to expect from pretty much every other character running around, it’s a lot more enjoyable to interact with

them.

But then comes the time-consuming nature of the RPG. It’s not just fun, it’s tediously fun. There are moments, smack dab in the middle of leveling your souffle cooking skill, when the game begins to curiously reflect real life. Only instead of actually developing the very useful skill of cooking a delicious souffle, the player has instead increased a rating in a virtual table.

“But my souffles give +100hp,” the RPG fanatic will respond, and that’s all well and good. Part of the mechanics of a good RPG is to reward the player for their time. Every time the buttons are pushed in the right sequence, the little avatar on the screen will dance just so and a new ability is now available.

That, again, is one of the most time-transferring aspects of the RPG. Pacman had one option to level up, and it didn’t last long before the ghosts stopped flashing and were back on his tail. Now, however, the main character when you download any RPG has more options than most people clearly understand for themselves in real life.

From sword fighting, to fishing, to mining for gold the average RPG will offer a nearly ludicrous array of skill options. And each one must be methodically and tediously increased. Second by second, minute by minute, hour by….

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Online Language

One of the surprising aspects of being anonymous is the increased urge to be aggressive, or just in general a showoff. Take as evidence the countless examples of foul, bigoted and offensive comments posted anonymously at sites like YouTube.

The same, sadly, is true for online gaming. And of course there is the added element of trying to destroy your enemies which can have a invigorating effect, causing even the most timid grandmotherly old lady to spew forth the sort of language that would make a pirate blush.

This is important to consider for parents who have young children wanting to play certain games online. There is a very real chance given the right conditions a young kid playing a cooperative shooter could get an early education the parents weren’t bargaining for.

A good general guideline to consider in this realm is to look at the rating of the game in question. The guidelines are pretty simple, with E for everyone, T for teen, M for Mature and so on.

It’s a reasonably safe assumption if the game is rated E it is the Disney version of an online game. That said, there are probably only going to be young children, or adults with the minds of young children playing. In some of these versions the chat options are even limited to a basic set of questions and responses, so there isn’t too much to worry about there.

With teen and mature games it’s pretty much the wild west when it comes to language and conversational content. With shooters like the Halo series and the Call of Duty line of games, there is probably going to be some cuss words and a good deal of foul language in general.

And for those offenders who just can’t play without using profanity there is always the mute player option.

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Best Game Ever

With the multitude of video games options and platforms out there, it’s a daunting task for any critic to try and pick ‘the best’. Plus, what is good for one video gamer is subject to the opinion of the next gamer.

That being true, picking the right video game really depends on what the gamer is after. In the last decade certain terms have cropped up which can help the curious game shopper more accurately narrow down what they want to tell the teenage kid working at Game Stop they are looking for.

Here is a general list of some of those terms;

* First Person Shooter – Hello Halo, Call of Duty and the like. In these games the player will generally be viewing a battlefield of some sort from the perspective of the avatar. That means a couple of arms sticking out in front, usually holding some insanely powerful weapon. While there are various styles of game play within these types of games, the basis idea is to shoot, bomb, explode or otherwise vanquish the enemy.

* RPG – The video role playing game was invented for Dungeons and Dragons player who were tired of rolling the dice, or couldn’t find a good game master. In these games a central character will be able to expand on their abilities, items and equipment throughout the game. There is usually a sort of leveling involved, where experience pays off with a stronger character.

* RTS – The real time strategy is the short attention span’s answer to chess. These games commonly feature a playing board viewed from above, where the gamer can build resources, bases and armies in order to invade neighboring players.

Keep in mind these are only a few popular options and don’t include other massive genres like sports games, simulators, action and adventure and skill or puzzle games.

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