Xbox

[Animal]

Video games are like any other medium. Some are good, some are crap, some are offensive, some are epic.

Give him thinking games. Get him Prince of Persia: Sands of Time for a beautiful game that very much aproaches art. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is also very good, if not too complex for a kid, but if he's a smart one, he'll pick it up in no time. I hate Star Wars in general, but this was light years ahead of the crappy movies.
Its a role playing game that gives you a lot of moral choices on your paths. A very nice 'good vs evil' storyline that actually dares to touch shades of gray. Very mature, in a good way. I was throughly impressed by the end of it, felt like reading a very good book.

Might seem ludicrous to you that I speak of some titles in such high regard, maybe because of generation gap, but I bet some old folk thought nothing good could come out of cinema and other mediums.

Just dont get him Grand Theft Auto 3 and that sort of games that cross lines.

I know you despise me like the scum of hell, but I'm actually giving you some good advice. Good video games are time better spent than watching TV. I actually learned english playing video games such as 'Final Fantasy II' and III (the new ones suck) and other role playing games of that type. I'd have a dictionary next to me as I played.

Also, get a sports game such as Project Gotham Racing 2 or Madden football and play with him. You can have as much fun as playing Aces High, because it really isnt as different as you'd like to believe.

[LePaul]

What good morals you advocate.

Now if Daddy will stop swapping sides when the war gets rough, just to spy and report our missions and CV locations...then you might have something to be proud of  

[Rude]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
Yeah, I caved in. But he did complete a 150 page work book during the summer months (one of the "requirements" for the Xbox), and his reading time has increased from 45 min. a night to 1 hour.  

So there, its off my chest.

Hey Rip....it's not about whether or not they have one.....it'a ALL about how the parents allow it to be used:)

[Nefarious]

The best bang for your buck is Nintendo's Gamecube.

Right now its the cheapest system out, PS2 and Xbox still remain the same price they were when they first came out. Although they throw in the Online pack and a Game.

Gamecube right now has the smallest game collection, but It grows everyday. And It still lacks an online kit, although If I really wanted play an online game Id do it on my computer anyway.

Me and my girlfriend purchased one for X-mas, with Simpsons Hit and Run. I rented MOH:RS for Gamecube after X-mas, and after New Years I played MOH:RS on PS2. In my oppinion, Gamecube has got PS2 beat in graphics.

[kappa]

Rip... when you and your kid grow up... Will you teach him to be a punk and spy on the Muppets like his old man did??

lol i would have never guessed you were a daddy..

Gawd save us.. He can procreate...

[moose]

Hey Nef, you're wrong about prices. Gamecube might still be cheapest but I got my XBox for 150 after rebate (180 in store), and its original price was 300 i think. Saw that ps2s are going for 150 period and those were over 200 bucks originally i think.

return of the king is an awesome game. you can play co-op multiplayer in it! kinda like a souped up version of golden axe! i got it last night and my friends and i played till 7am this morning, if you'd believe it.

[Nefarious]

Yeah I think your right, they were 299, now I'm seeing commercials parked at 199. I havnt seen them lower, but then again, Ive only seen them in commericials not the weekly ads.

I like Gamecube, Simpsons Hit & Run is a blast, I'm really looking forward to Call of Duty.

[Makarov9]

Rip, Halo is a must buy. I've played that game several times through. The multiplayer is a blast also. I just bought a big bellybutton TV this weekend and Halo is beautiful on it.

[Boroda]

Originally posted by BB Gun
And my 9 year old is reading War and Peace - though he says its SO BORING .  He just picked up the biggest book in his classroom he could find.

Wow!

I couldn't break through "War and Peace", and believe me - I tried five times...

I read at least for 2 hours daily, in an underground to work and back, usually more at home. 150 pages daily minimum.

I mean "easy reading". I usually have 2-3 "seriuos" books that I read when I run out of sci-fi or detective crap, each one usually lasts for 2-3 months.

When I was a kid, 8 years old, and my cousin lived with us - my parents had to take away the books we were reading to make us go play at the open air

[BB Gun]

hehe boroda.  I was a voracious reader when younger.  Tailed off in college a bit.  Too distracting from studying.  Then family and work - kids take a lot of time.  And my commute is 10 minutes - no time there.  

The rest of my free time is reading the drivel here and at AGW.  

Occasionally I hunker down and read a book.  Just finished "Proud American: Joe Foss Story".

I'm not sure if my son is going to finish War and Peace - he's determined, but is only about 25% of the way through, and losing interest.

BB

[Hawklore]

Originally posted by BB Gun
hehe boroda.  I was a voracious reader when younger.  Tailed off in college a bit.  Too distracting from studying.  Then family and work - kids take a lot of time.  And my commute is 10 minutes - no time there.  

The rest of my free time is reading the drivel here and at AGW.  

Occasionally I hunker down and read a book.  Just finished "Proud American: Joe Foss Story".

I'm not sure if my son is going to finish War and Peace - he's determined, but is only about 25% of the way through, and losing interest.

BB

Encourage him..

If he finnishes it I'll read it.. maybe..

[Reschke]

Best thing for my son this year we made his 75lb team on the NCAA Football 2004 and had practice where we made the same plays as his team. That way I could show him the plays and the hole assignments a little easier than drawing X's and O's on the chalk board in his room. Plus it was much neater than that as well.

For his first year playing football it worked great for him. Now he is taking his team and kicking tail against other computer teams. He still can't thrash on dear old Dad though and he hates loosing so he gets 30-45 minutes of "practice" (Xbox) time a day provided he has read his books his first grade teacher put on his list to read that night. For Christmas I got him NCAA Basketball for the Xbox and he hasn't really gotten into that yet.

BTW since we are all strutting our stuff about books...Just finished reading the newest Tom Clancy book and it was a nice engaging read and diversion from doing nothing between 10pm and 12 am and lunch time. Took a little over a week due to baby duty and not having much free time. Now I am reading "Fox on the Rhine"; an Alternate Reality book about what happened when Hitler was killed by von Stauffenberg's bomb. With the quick rise of Himmler as Reichsfurhrer...scary thought there.