So you’ve read the first couple of posts and you’re still
pretty confused about what this Gamer Dad - Thorncliff thing is all about.
Well now’s the time you’ve been waiting for…
Gamer Dad - Thorncliff is a blog about my love for video
games. It will also be my platform to share my knowledge and passion with other
like-minded people.
I have now grown up. Well,
not really… Let’s just say I’m now working full-time, have a wife, and a
beautiful little 3 year old daughter Abigail. Has this changed my gaming
habits? Of course it has. This, in part, is why I am here. I’d like to use this
as a platform to engage other gamer parents like myself.
I have an extensive knowledge
of gaming consoles, games and genres, but being a gamer parent is a relatively
new venture. As my daughter grows up, I find myself thinking more and more
about what games she will be able to play, and also what games I play whilst
she is present.
The mission of Gamer Dad -
Thorncliff is to help parents struggling with issues such as what console would
be best to purchase for their kids, or whether a game is suitable for them to
play. My aim is to provide an honest and open opinion based on me being both a
passionate gamer and a parent. This blog will be used to convey my thoughts and
feelings on numerous subjects in the gaming world, drawing upon my experiences
as a long-term gamer and, more recently, a gamer dad.
Why is this important? Well for starters the average gamer
in Australia is 32 years old. Many of the games I grew up playing were never
what I would consider to be overly graphic or with strong adult themes. The
Australian Classifications board has done a great job of classifying games into
suitable categories, but I feel that they are still not fully understood by
many people. These classifications are taken with a grain of salt by many and
games get put into the hands of kids without the full knowledge of what the
game actually portrays. For a more in depth breakdown of gaming
classifications in Australia, you can visit the Australian Classification Board here or check out the chart below from DigitallyDownloaded.net.
Now, I’m not here to tell you
what you should and shouldn’t allow your kids to play, but rather aim more to
give you an honest review of particular games: their themes, subject matter,
and content. I love killing zombies, shooting my way through a foreign city,
and ripping the head off a mythical beast as much as the next person. In saying
that, I do not play these games in front of my daughter. Most of the content in
the games I play is aimed at mature audiences and really isn’t appropriate for
my 3 year old to be watching, so I save these games for when she is in bed or
out of the house.
Peer pressure from the kids
to buy them the latest blockbuster game, just because all their mates have it,
can be a nightmare. I’m just here to help you make a decision on whether you should
give in or not.
Cheers,
Thorncliff
