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Topic: Gamer Dads/Moms and The Best Platform

Posts 1 to 6 of 6

xoIrishWxo

I'm am struggling with a decision. That decision is, what is simply, the best platform for my family to game on. I read an article recently on the transition from being a "Gamer" to a "Gamer Dad". Very insightful and it made me think.

I have bounced around from system to system for quite some time, never staying loyal to a company, because, honestly, I just find it silly. I have always gamed where I thought I could have the most fun. 5 Years ago, my Son Jacob was born, and from that moment on, I realized it's not just about me any more. 1 year ago, my daughter Amelia was born, and I realized that even further.

With holding a job that comes with a lot of responsibility, having two children, a Wife and pets to look after, my gaming time, or "me time" has diminished to the point of a half hour here and there. All of my single friends want to play games like Destiny, or Grand Theft Auto, and I have simply lost interest. When I used to look at a game like the upcoming Assassin's Creed Syndicate, I was salivating for midnight to roll around so I could jump in, now my first thoughts are "Ugh, $79.99, really?", or when I think about the investment that has to be put into games like that, I automatically lose interest.

As of this moment, we have a PS3 and a PS4. I have been debating switching over to Nintendo for these reasons above. To see the joy on my kids faces when we find that Amiibo, or they see Yoshi and Mario. It is truly an amazing thing to behold. Then the nostalgia comes, and I reminisce about the joy Nintendo brought when I first played Super Mario 64, or when I would wander around the world in Ocarina of Time, simply to savor it, the magic Nintendo brings. The fun Nintendo brings and I want my kids to experience that as well.

I apologize for the rant, I needed a place to vent. Are there any "Gamer Dads, or Moms" out there that feel this way? Like gaming still matters, but on a different level now? Have you traded it all in for the joy of Nintendo, or do you still find time to kill some zombies at 1 AM when the kids are in bed? (I'm not able to stay up that late anymore").

Thanks!

xoIrishWxo

Nintendo Network ID: xoIrishWxo

gcunit

I game probably more than I should do at the moment, at the expense of my work, primarily, and I guess, to a certain extent, my family, but less so. My work doesn't interest me or incentivise me and occasionally I have opportunities to get in some gaming, which I take from time to time. Otherwise I tend to game at night, once everyone else has gone to bed. Inevitably this means I get the least sleep, which I can cope with to a degree but sometimes I go overboard.

Thing is though, since my kids came around (3yr old and 1yr old) it's meant being tied to home a lot more, and leaves gaming as the most obvious thing for me to do to retain my sense of self, so I don't feel particularly guilty about doing it. I don't go out drinking, I don't play sports on the weekend - I am always available for my family.

Before my kids I didn't game an awful lot, and just had a Wii and PC. Since my kids turned up I've bought a Wii U, a PS3 and a N3DS, and spent more money on games in this last 18 months than ever before in my whole life. I buy what I consider the best games, whether they be for my individual enjoyment (e.g. Bayonetta 2) or for family fun (e.g. SM3DW).

I've always been attracted by the colour and fun of Mario games, but never put much time into them before. But now I've seen how much my 3yr old likes SM3DW it's made me see how rich the various titles are for family gaming and I've been building up my library of classic Mario games. If I only had the choice of one platform for family gaming it would definitely be Wii U. Backwards compatibility with Wii gives you access to loads of cheap games (esp. if you buy 'used') and the fun of Wiimote motion controls, too.

Edited on by gcunit

You guys had me at blood and semen.

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My Nintendo: gcunit | Nintendo Network ID: gcunit

OTG72

Hi There,
I am a Highschool Administrator. Husband of 24+ years. Father of 3. 2 dogs 1 cat. I have personally owned just about every major gaming system since the 90s. I have always been a graphics junky and a multiplayer guru. This past year, be it age, or COVID, or just wanting to have a simpler existence, I sold my PS4 as well as my XBOX. It was totally a choice to simplify. I wanted to have a system that I could have fun with my kids, as well as being able to sit down for the rare "Me Time". For me it was 100% about quality over quantity. For me the Switch won as it is fun, tons of games for both adults and children, and to be honest, I can pop it out of the dock and take it to my den for a romp through warface, Splatoon, or Smash Bros. No Regrets for me.

Best of luck.

OTG72

Dpullam

I am a father of two young kids, and I personally have found no greater pleasure than owning a Nintendo Switch or playing games that my kids might like so I could see where their interests lay. Without my Nintendo Switch, my gaming time would have been cut in thirds since my Xbox One is mainly used for the kids to watch television of some sort, therefore I don't get to play it much. And this may be my personal opinion, but I feel like the Nintendo Switch has the most genuinely fun games that are safe for kids to watch, (and possibly develop an interest in). Unless someone is interested in joining the PS5 or Xbox Series X crowd which won't have a solid amount of true next gen titles for a little while, I feel like Nintendo Switch, (or other older Nintendo consoles) are the way to go. The attachment rate for Nintendo titles is just so much higher for me. And that includes just simply using Nintendo hardware.

Edited on by Dpullam

Gamertag: DeePullThree
Switch Friend Code: SW-2321-5988-1019
PlayStation 5 User Profile: DeePullThree

TheFrenchiestFry

Honestly I never got the concept of loyalty to a brand. As someone who's invested in all four major gaming ecosystems at the moment and will continue to do so (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, PC), I've never been particularly clingy to one type of platform and don't really see the benefits of boxing myself to a specific ecosystem since each gaming platform has its own unique benefits, like Nintendo for its first party exclusives, PlayStation for RPGs as well as first and third party exclusives, Xbox for unifying console and PC gaming under one roof as well as Game Pass, and PC for the freedom of customizability and superior performance of multiplats.

I'd say that you should've have to quote unquote "switch to another platform" because at that point it becomes severely limiting to the types of games you'll actually get to play. I love Nintendo games and I have since the DS, but I'd be the first person to say straight up, Nintendo consoles nowadays should NEVER be your primary platforms, since the only benefit I see in owning Nintendo systems nowadays are the stellar first party exclusives and practically nothing else outside of indie support. Maybe that's all you care about, but you'd literally be better off just having your PS3/PS4 coexist alongside your Switch should you choose to invest in that console because if you're just a console gamer, there are so many more benefits to owning a PlayStation specifically because of its superior multiplat library and even third party exclusives and better performance imo. That's just me.

TheFrenchiestFry

Switch Friend Code: SW-4512-3820-2140 | My Nintendo: French Fry

BenAV

I have no experience with children but I'd say that Nintendo systems are always a good choice if you're looking for something family friendly considering most first party Nintendo games are designed to be enjoyed by anyone. I also find handheld systems are a great choice if you have limited opportunities to get some gaming time in. I'd never sit down in front of the TV and load up a home console game unless I've got a fairly large amount of time to do so but with a handheld I find that I can easily just pick it up for 10-15 minutes here and there when I have a moment which can really add up to getting a lot more time in.

BenAV

Switch Friend Code: SW-4616-9069-4695 | 3DS Friend Code: 3652-0548-9579 | Nintendo Network ID: Ben_AV | Twitter:

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