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Eric Rogers August 27, 2015

Video Game Career – Video Game Journalist

writing

This is the next post in my series highlighting different careers in the video game industry.

Today I am going to cover the career of a video game journalist.

What does a video game journalist do?

Video game journalists have several responsibilities.

  • Writing reviews – This is the one that probably gets most people into this career initially. A video games journalist plays through a game and then writes a review of it. Depending on the publication, this may include a numbered score.
  • Publishing press releases – When a publisher or developer wants to reach a wide audience with an announcement (say a release date for a highly anticipated game), they will issue a press release to video game sites. Those sites will then write a post about the release, with some adding commentary and others just posting the announcement.
  • Writing opinion pieces – Some times a video game journalist will write an opinion piece on the goings on in the video game industry. This might be about an announcement made by a publisher, about the state of a game, or the state of the industry in general.
  • Covering industry events – There are several industry events throughout the year, including E3 and PAX. A video game journalist may be sent to one of these events to cover announcements and demos from publishers and developers.

There are two distinct job categories in video game journalism, freelance and salaried.

Freelance

A freelance writer is a hired gun. He will get an assignment from a particular site or magazine for a specific article. He will then be paid for that article. He does not work for the publication.

There are advantages and disadvantages to being a freelancer.

Advantages

  • A freelance writer can take assignments for a variety of publications. Since he is not tied to any one, he can pitch several at the same time.
  • A freelancer also has a lot more freedom. Since he is not an employee, he can live where he wants. This would allow him to live somewhere less expensive.

Disadvantages

  • A freelancer is completely responsible for his taxes and benefits, such as health insurance. This can take a chunk out of the money he makes.
  • Successful freelancers have to work extremely hard to continue to land assignments. It takes a lot of hustle to do it well.
  • The income of a freelancer can be unpredictable. If there are no assignments, there is no money.

Salaried

The other route to go is a salaried position at a publication. This gives some stability over being a freelancer, with a steady income and things like taxes and benefits covered.

The problem with salaried positions is they are extremely hard to get. Most video game publications are not making huge profits. The positions they have are limited and tend to be kept by those who can get them.

How much money is there to be made doing this?

This question is a bit harder to answer than with the two previous careers I covered (Streamer/YouTuber and Programmer). The best article I could find is on Games Radar from 2011. Here are a couple interesting snippets:

The average we found for full-time freelance writers (removing the highest and lowest figures to keep things more accurate) was $26,000 per year.

…

When working for a website [as a salaried employee], there seem to be three different income brackets. For starting employees on the lowest rung, the average is around $32,000 (associate editor, assistant editor). More senior employees (senior editor, managing editor) can later hope to move up to around $50,000. While we weren’t able to get an online editor in chief to respond, we expect there’s a similar bump.

As you can see, no one is getting rich doing this. It is a lot of hard work for not a lot of money. But for someone who is passionate about video games and writing, it can be worth it.

How would my gamer get started?

There are a few things I would say to a young gamer interested in being a video game journalist.

  1. Read – The first thing your gamer needs to do is read other game journalist. A lot. He should find sites, both big and small, and critically read the articles they post. How do they structure the articles? What things are important in their reviews? How do they disclose relationships with developers and publishers, if at all?

    Here are some big and small sites to check out: PC Gamer, Polygon, Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Gamasutra, Niche Gamer, Gamer Headlines

  2. Write – The next thing I would recommend is that your gamer create his own blog and start writing about the games he is playing. He can get practice writing and get feedback from his friends and family.
  3. Books – There are a couple books I recommend to anyone looking to go this career route. They are Up Up Down Down Left WRITE: The Freelance Guide to Video Game Journalism and Critical Path: How to Review Videogames for a Living

Filed Under: Gaming Careers Tagged With: Balance, Benefits, Tips, Video Game Careers

Eric Rogers August 26, 2015

Game Spotlight – Bastion

This is my next “Let’s Play” video of Bastion.

This series highlights high quality games I recommend to you as a parent. These are games that your gamer may enjoy with content you will approve.

Transcript:


Hello, my name is Eric Rogers from parentinggamers.com and this is my “Let’s Play” video of Bastion. In this series of videos, I am playing different games that I recommend to you as a parent. These are high quality games your gamer will enjoy with content you will approve.

So let’s play Bastion.

Bastion is an action adventure game where you play as a young kid who has survived a catastrophic event. You can get an idea of the gameplay in this clip.

There are a few reasons I recommend Bastion. Besides being a fun game (which it is), I really love both the art style and the music. This game looks and sounds beautiful, in my opinion.

And then there is the narrator. The way they use him to tell the story and comment on what you are doing brings a wrinkle to this game I have not seen in any other. It’s a cool little twist.

Bastion is rated E10+, which is the equivalent of a PG movie rating. It is available on the PC, Xbox 360, PS4, and iOS devices.

If you enjoyed this video, please visit me at parentinggamers.com and sign-up for my email list. Signing up with get you notifications when I release new videos and give you a free copy of my e-book, Connecting with Your Teenager Through Video Games. Thanks for watching.

Filed Under: Let's Play Tagged With: Bastion, Let's Play, Videos

Eric Rogers August 25, 2015

Platform Guide – PlayStation 4

This post is part of my Video Game Platform series.

The next video game platform I am going to cover in the PlayStation 4. Here is the basic information on it:

  • Platform – PlayStation 4
  • Platform Holder – Sony
  • Price – $399
  • Major Platform Exclusives – Uncharted 4, Bloodborne, Driveclub, Gran Turismo 7, Infamous (First Light and Second Son), The Order 1886
  • Online Subscription – PlayStation Plus

Now let’s dig into these a bit.

PlayStation 4 Hardware

The hardware for the PlayStation 4 is less complicated than the Xbox One. There is one version at one price point, $399. The only question is, which game/games do you want?

As of this writing, there are 4 different bundles on Amazon with the PS4.

  • Batman Arkham Knight – This is the fourth and latest game in the Batman Arkham series. I will be posting a review of it in the next few weeks.
  • Destiny: The Taken King – This bundle includes the game and a special console. Destiny is an MMO which can only be played online.
  • Last of Us Remastered/Madden 16 – Last of Us is an end of times, zombie game. Of course Madden is football.
  • Last of Us Remastered – This bundle includes Last of Us but not Madden 16. Honestly, if you are thinking about getting this one, you should get the other to get Madden 16 for the same price.

As with the Xbox One, you will probably want to get at least one extra controller with this console. These are regularly $60. You can get one for $47 on Amazon.

The Platform Holder – Sony

Sony is the company that manufactures the PlayStation 4 hardware and curates the games that are allowed on the platform. As you can probably guess, the PS4 is the fourth console in their PlayStation line.

Sony has been very aggressive in marketing the PS4 to gamers. Microsoft tried to position the Xbox One as an all-in-one media device where you could watch the football game and check your fantasy league stats at the same time, among other things. This did not go over real well with their core audience, the gamers.

Sony saw this and used it to its advantage. When the PS4 was announced, Sony did everything it could to position it as the ultimate next generation gaming console. They also came out $100 cheaper (Microsoft as since come down in price). These two things combined allowed Sony to jump out to an early lead in sales.

Platform Exclusives

I listed some of the major platform exclusives earlier. There is one thing about these that I find interesting.

If you ask me to name the character most associated with the Xbox, I would immediately respond with Master Chief from Halo. If you ask the same question about Nintendo, I would say Mario (and possibly Zelda or Link from the Zelda games, Samus from Metroid, or a few other iconic Nintendo characters).

If, however, you asked me to name the character most associated with the PlayStation, I could not name one. This is not because the PlayStation does not have good exclusives, but because it has several, none of which define the console on their own.

This means no matter what games your gamer loves, there are probably PlayStations exclusives he will enjoy. Does he love racing games? Gran Turismo is for him. Action/Adventure? Check out Uncharted. Hard as nails games that require a lot of skill? Say hello to Bloodborne.

You check the full list of PlayStation 4 games to see what other games are exclusive to the console.

Online Subscription with PlayStation Plus

The online subscription program on the PlayStation 4 is called PlayStation Plus. The cost is $9.99 for a month, $17.99 for 3 months, and $49.99 for a year.

Here are the benefits of becoming a PlayStation Plus member.

  • Free games – Every month Sony releases 2 games for free to PlayStation Plus members. In the past, this has include games like Infamous: First Light and Rogue Legacy.
  • Discounts on games – PlayStation plus members receive discounts not available to non-members. You can find a list of the current deals here.
  • Multiplayer – If your gamer is interested in playing online with his friends, he will have to have a PlayStation Plus account.

So, is the $50 worth it? As with any of these questions, the answer is, it depends. If your gamer wants to play with his friends, you do not have any choice. The good thing is your gamer will get new games to play every month, which could potentially save you money in the long run. Of course, you will want to be aware of what those games are to make sure he is not playing something you do not approve.

Parental Controls

Modern consoles are doing a better job of including tools to help parents control the content their children can access. The PlayStation 4 is no exception.

In the future I am going to do a detailed video going over the parental controls on the PlayStation 4. For now, you can check out this guide on Tom’s Guide.

Filed Under: Hardware Tagged With: Guides, Hardware, Platform Guides, PlayStation 4

Eric Rogers August 21, 2015

Parenting Gamers Review – Mortal Kombat X

If you are reading this in an email, please click this link to view the video on my site.

Here is my next video review. In this video, I give you a quick overview of Mortal Kombat X, go over the rating and content, and let you know if I think it is good for your gamer.

If you enjoyed this video, please sign-up for my email list to receive notifications when I release new ones.

Transcript:


Hello, my name is Eric Rogers from parentinggamers.com and this is Parenting Gamers Review of Mortal Kombat X. In this video, I am going to give you a quick overview of the game, go over the rating and content, and let you know if I think it is good for your gamer.

So the first question is, what is Mortal Kombat X?

Mortal Kombat X is a fighting game. The player selects a character from large list. Each character has their own set of moves which the player uses to try to damage the other character. You can get an idea of what I mean through this clip.

The appeal of fighting games like Mortal Kombat comes from learning the intricacies of a character and then fighting against other people. There is a story mode but the game is mainly about the fights.

So what about the content?

A quick warning. I am about to show you some clips explaining the rating Mortal Kombat X received. These clips are extremely graphic. If you are at all squeamish, you probably do not want to watch.

Mortal Kombat X is rated M, which is the equivalent of an R rating in the movies. The rating includes the descriptors “Strong Language”, “Intense Violence”, and “Blood and Gore”.

Mortal Kombat has made a name for itself among fighting games by being extremely brutal. During the fight, the player is able to perform x-ray moves which are powerful moves that show an x-ray of the opponent with bones breaking and organs being crushed.

Once one player is defeated, the announcer says “Finish Him!” which gives the winning player the opportunity to execute a special move for their character. The player can execute either a “Fatality” or “Brutality”, both of which result in the losing player being killed in the most brutal fashion.

One other thing to keep in mind is that Mortal Kombat X includes a multi-player feature. This allows the player to fight against other people instead of just computer controlled opponents. The issue is that you have no control over who your gamer plays. For the most part, this won’t be an problem but it is something to be aware of.

So, what’s the verdict? Is Mortal Kombat X a game you should allow your gamer to play?

If I am being completely honest, the Mortal Kombat series holds a special place in my heart. The original came out when I was 14 in 1992. I remember hearing about this game at the arcade that allowed you to rip out someone’s heart or pull their head and spine off and being completely intrigued. It was one of the first games to take violence to the next level and the teenage me thought that was really cool.

However, with the advances in technology, the graphics in these games are so much more realistic. Mortal Kombat X takes things to a level that makes it hard for me to play anymore. With that in mind, I cannot recommend this game to you as a parent.

If you enjoyed this video, please visit me at parentinggamers.com and sign-up for my email list. Signing up with get you notifications when I release new videos and give you a free copy of my e-book, Connecting with Your Teenager Through Video Games. Thanks for watching.

Filed Under: Video Reviews Tagged With: Mortal Kombat X, Reviews, Videos

Eric Rogers August 20, 2015

Video Game Career – Programmer

Code

This is the next post in my series highlighting different careers in the video game industry.

Today I want to highlight a career that is near and dear to my heart, that of a programmer.

Computer programming has been my day-job for the last 16 years. I took my first programming class when I was a senior in high school and fell in love with it. From there, I got a computer science degree in college and have been programming ever since.

I have found a lot of programmers are also gamers. There is a natural progression from playing games to thinking, “I could make something like this!” to a career in programming, even if it is not making games.

What does a programmer do?

Programmers are backbone of the video game industry. It does not matter how great a designer’s ideas or how beautiful an artist’s art, if the game does not work, no one will play it.

There are two routes a programmer can go in the video game industry, working as a employee for a game studio or developing games as an independent developer. Let’s look at both of these.

Working for a game studio

Going this route, the programmer would probably go to college to get some kind of computer science related degree. From there, she would be looking to get a position at a studio. Here are a couple positions she might get. (This list is by no means exhaustive.)

  • Tools developer – This person builds the tools other people use to build the game. The biggest example of this is the level editor. This is a tool the level designers will use to layout the levels in the game. This position tends to be where developers start when going to work for a big company.
  • Engine developer – This person builds the actual engine that runs the game. This is the code that makes the game work. This work could require a lot of knowledge in things like math and physics, depending on the type of game being built. These tend to be more senior developers.

The programmer would then work on whatever game the studio is developing. As an example, if the programmer works for Treyarch right now, they are working on Call of Duty: Black Ops 3.

Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages to going this route.

Advantages

  • Salary – The video game industry is full of risk. As technology advances, games are becoming more and more expensive in terms of money and time to create. As a employee, that risk is largely taken on up the food chain, either by the heads of the studio or by the publisher. Obviously there is still some risk for the employees that the company will go out of business but most of the time the paycheck is going to come on time.
  • Specialization – Video games are complex. There are a lot of moving parts, from the programming to the art, sound, and music to the design. Working for a game studio allows a programmer to do her part and trust others to do their. Going along with that…
  • Business Infrastructure – Besides the game itself being complex, the job of running a successful game development studio is also complex. It is not enough to build a game and throw it out to the world. There is marketing, PR, accounting, and everything else that goes with running a business. A programmer at a game studio does not have to worry about those things. A programmer at Treyarch does not have to worry about getting the word out for Call of Duty. Activision’s marketing department handles that.
  • Team – Some people cannot handle working on their own. They need like minded people around them to spur them on and energize them. Working for a studio grants this.
  • Scope – Big games like Call of Duty require hundreds of people to develop. If a programmer wants to work on a really big game, she will probably have to join a big studio.

Disadvantages

  • Overtime/Crunch – Crunch is the overtime required by a studio to complete a game. This normally happens when a release date is coming up. However, the video game industry is notorious for requiring months and months of crunch. This is not an issue at every studio but it is something to be aware of.
  • No Design Control – At most studios, there is a person or group of people in charge of the design direction of the game. Most of the time, these are not frontline programmers. So the programmers may have to deal with decisions about the direction of the game they do not like.
  • No Business Control – I said in the advantages that most of the risk rests up the line from the programmers. However, not all of it does. The programmer takes the risk that studio heads make a bunch of mistakes and run the business into the ground. Then she is left high and dry. Of course, this is a risk if you work for any business, not just a game studio.

Now let’s look at the other option.

Working as an independent developer

The last several years as seen the rise of the independent developer. These might be a single person or a group of only a few people working on a game. As with working for a studio, there are advantages and disadvantages to this approach.

Advantages

  • Control – If you are the only one working on a game, you can make all the decisions about it. You can decide the type of game, what the story is or if there even is one, what platforms to release it on, everything.
  • Financial – When you work for a studio, you get your salary and potentially bonuses depending on how well a game sells. However, as an independent developer, if your game sells like gang busters, you reap more of the financial benefits.
  • Freedom – If a programmer is going to work for a studio, she probably has to live in or move to the city where it is located. An independent developer has much more freedom with where she works. This allows her to potentially live somewhere much cheaper, which would help mitigate the financial risk.

Disadvantages

  • Financial – While the upside potential is greater for the independent developer, the initial financial risk is also much greater. A game studio will normally have a publisher helping finance the development of the game. An independent developer has to come up with money she needs to survive while building the game, either through savings, asking family and friends, or trying to raise money through something like Kickstarter.
  • Control – I mentioned control as an advantage but it can also be a disadvantage. While an independent developer gets to make all the decisions, she also has to make all the decisions. And this is not just about the game. It is also about the business. She has to handle development, marketing, accounting, PR, everything. If she does not do it, it does not get done.
  • Wearing Many Hats – One of the big reasons I have not jumped into game development myself yet is art. I am no good at it and I do not have a lot of extra money to pay for it. If a independent developer is going to work alone, she will have to handle everything that is involved with developing a game including the programming, art, sound, and level design. This is why you see a lot of independent developers consisting of groups of a few people instead of just a lone developer.
  • Scope – An independent developer is going to be limited on the type of game she can create. She is not going to be able to build the next big FPS to compete with Call of Duty. That type of game requires too many people.
  • It’s Hard – While there are cases like Mojang, the makers of Minecraft who recently sold to Microsoft for $2.5 billion, most independent developers are scraping by. It is hard work to create a great game and then get people to notice it and buy it.

How much money is there to be made doing this?

The answer to this question is obviously going to depend on whether the person chooses to join a studio or go independent.

Gamasutra does a survey of game developers salaries every year. The 2014 survey found that those working at a studio with the title “programmer” make an average of $93,251. That is a pretty good salary and what you would expect from a specialized field. One thing to keep in mind, though, is a lot of the big studios are located in places like California where it is more expensive to live. So this salary will not go as far in those cases.

Independent developer’s income is much harder to predict. The survey found, “Non-salaried solo independent game developers made an average of $11,812 (down 49 percent year-on-year) last year, while individual members of an indie team made an average of $50,833 (up 161 percent).” As I mentioned in the disadvantages of independent development, it is hard (but not impossible) to make a living this way.

How would my gamer get started?

There has never been a better time to get into game programming. There are two things I would recommend your gamer trying if this is something that interests her.

  • Mod an existing game – There are a lot of PC games out there that release their development tools so users can create mods. Torchlight 2 is one I recommend to get started.
  • Start creating a game – Some of the biggest game engines out there are available for free. This includes Unity (tutorials) and Unreal 4 (tutorials). She can download these and start going through the tutorials right now.

There are also a couple books I recommend. The first is Masters of Doom, which covers the history of id Software, the creators of the FPS genre. The second is Stay Awhile and Listen about Blizzard and the development of Diablo. These books will give her an idea of what game development was like at a studio in the late 90s.

The benefit of building games now is she will be building her portfolio. Having finished games to show potential employees will help boost her credibility. Plus, she might just make something that becomes the next Minecraft.

Filed Under: Gaming Careers Tagged With: Balance, Benefits, Tips, Video Game Careers

Eric Rogers August 19, 2015

Let’s Play – Portal 2

This is my next “Let’s Play” video of Portal 2.

This series highlights high quality games I recommend to you as a parent. These are games that your gamer may enjoy with content you will approve.

Portal 2 is one of my favorites. It is a puzzle game that will engage your gamer’s brain. It is also a great game for you if you are interested in learning to play with your gamer.

Transcript


Hello, my name is Eric Rogers from parentinggamers.com and this is my “Let’s Play” video of Portal 2. In this series of videos, I am playing different games that I recommend to you as a parent. These are high quality games your gamer will enjoy with content you will approve.

So let’s play one of my favorites, Portal 2.

Portal 2 is a first-person shooter but not in the traditional sense. It is played from the first-person perspective, like games like Call of Duty or Halo. However, instead of carrying a weapon used for destruction, the character carries a “portal gun”. This gun shoots orange and blue portals, which the player uses to solve puzzles. The portals allow the player to reach areas she would not be able to otherwise or manipulate objects in the environment.

Here is an example of the types of puzzle the player is trying to solve. The objective is to open the door and get through it. This is done by manipulating the light bridge and laser while avoiding the turret in the back of the room.

Watching me play this, you can see why I recommend Portal 2 as a great starter game for parents who want to start playing with their gamer. If you have ever watched your gamer play something like Call of Duty, you know how fast paced and frenetic it is. It can be very intimidating if you are just starting out and trying to learn the controls. Portal 2, however, is much slower paced so you can learn the mechanics and controls without the pressure.

The other reason I recommend you start learning with Portal 2 is the co-op feature. While I am solving this puzzle on my own, there are also puzzles that require 2 people to finish. Sitting down and playing through them with your gamer is a great way to connect.

There is one last benefit of Portal 2 that I want to mention. This game is a very cerebral game. Some of the puzzles can get pretty challenging. If you gamer is playing this, she is definitely exercising her brain muscle.

Portal 2 is available on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. The regular price right now is $20 but it is frequently on sale on Steam for the PC for less than $5. At that price, it is definitely worth it.

If you enjoyed this video, please visit me at parentinggamers.com and sign-up for my email list. Signing up with get you notifications when I release new videos and give you a free copy of my e-book, Connecting with Your Teenager Through Video Games. Thanks for watching.

Filed Under: Let's Play Tagged With: Let's Play, Portal 2, Recommended, Videos

Eric Rogers August 18, 2015

Platform Guide – Xbox One

Xbox One

This post is part of my Video Game Platform series.

The first video game platform I am going to cover is the Xbox One. Here is the basic information on it:

  • Platform – Xbox One
  • Platform Holder – Microsoft
  • Price – $349 – $499
  • Major Platform Exclusives – Halo (The Master Chief Collection and Halo 5), Sunset Overdrive (my review), Gears of War 4, Forza (Forza 5, Forza Horizon 2, Forza 6), Rise of the Tomb Raider (timed)
  • Online Subscription – Xbox Live Gold

Alright, let’s dig into these a bit.

Xbox One Hardware

First off, let’s take a look at the hardware. Currently, there are 3 different versions of the Xbox One available.

  1. 500GB (starts at $349) – This is your base console. The “500GB” represents the size of the hard drive in the console.
  2. 1TB (starts at $399) – This model has twice the hard drive space of the base version. This will allow your gamer to download and install many more games. In my opinion, this is worth the extra $50, if you can afford it.
  3. Kinect ($499) – This is the original version of the console that includes the Kinect accessory. The Kinect sensor recognizes voice commands and has motion sensor cameras. This is required for games like Just Dance or Xbox Fitness. This is probably not worth the extra $100 unless your gamer is interested in a game that requires it.

One thing to keep in mind when you are looking to purchase a console is the game or games that come bundled with it. The Xbox One currently (as of August 18, 2015) has bundles with Halo 5 (a special edition that is $499), Madden 16, FIFA 16, Forza Motorsport 6, Gears of War Ultimate Edition, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and Assassin’s Creed Unity and Black Flag (with Kinect, my review).

The two other pieces of hardware your gamer may want are a second controller and a nicer headset. You will especially want a second controller if you have more than one gamer in your house.

The Platform Holder – Microsoft

Microsoft is the company that manufactures the Xbox One hardware and curates the games that are allowed on the platform. The Xbox One is the third console in their Xbox line.

There is one major difference between the Xbox One and the other consoles given that Microsoft is the platform holder. As you probably know, Microsoft is also the company behind Windows, the operating system that runs the majority of the worlds home PCs. This allows them to integrate the Xbox One and home PCs unlike anyone else.

Microsoft has ramped this integration up with the recent release of Windows 10. Windows 10 comes with the Xbox app that allows you to stream Xbox One games to your PC, create gameplay clips just like on the Xbox One, and chat with players on either the PC or console.

Platform Exclusives

I listed some of the major platform exclusives above. The Halo and Gears of War franchises have been ones that have driven the sales of Xbox consoles for a while. They are the heavy hitters in that list for sure.

You might notice that I have “timed” in parentheses next to Rise of the Tomb Raider. This means that it is exclusive to Xbox (it’s actually coming out for the Xbox One and 360 initially) for a while but will eventually come out on other consoles as well.

There is one other thing to keep in mind with Xbox One exclusives. A lot of gamers are hoping to see more Xbox One exclusives come to the PC, given how Microsoft is working to integrate the two. We have already seen this some with Gears of War Ultimate Edition announced for both platforms.

You check the full list of Xbox One games to see what other games are exclusive to the console.

Online Subscription with Xbox Live Gold

The online platform the Xbox One uses is called Xbox Live. New accounts created by a user are free but have certain restrictions. The premium membership is called Xbox Live Gold. It cost $9.99 for a monthly subscription, $24.99 for 3 months, and $59.99 for a year. The advantages to having a Gold account are:

  • Free games – The Games with Gold program gives the user a selection of free games for being a Gold member. These include games like Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and Child of Light. New games are released each month with others dropping out after they have been available for a while.
  • Deals on games – The Deals with Gold program gives Gold members discounts on games. For example, as of this writing, Gold members can get Batman: Arkham Knight and LEGO Jurassic World for 25% off.
  • Multiplayer – Your gamer must be a Gold member if he wants to play multiplayer with his friends. Free members cannot play multiplayer on Xbox Live.

So, is the $60 worth it? As with any of these questions, the answer is, it depends. If your gamer wants to play with his friends, you do not have any choice. The good thing is your gamer will get new games to play every month, which could potentially save you money in the long run. Of course, you will want to be aware of what those games are to make sure he is not play something you do not approve.

Parental Controls

Modern consoles are doing a better job of including tools to help parents control the content their children can access. The Xbox One is no exception.

In the future I am going to do a detailed video going over the parental controls on the Xbox One. For now, you can check out this guide on Tom’s Guide.

Filed Under: Hardware Tagged With: Guides, Hardware, Platform Guides, Xbox One

Eric Rogers August 17, 2015

Ideas Your Gamer Might Enjoy – RC Cars, Planes, and Boats

One of the questions I get a lot from parents is, “How do I get my gamer out from in front of the T.V. and doing something different?”

This is a really important question. As a parent, you want your gamer to be well rounded. You want them to experience the world to better understand their place in it.

The problem is, how do you do that in a healthy way? One way to get them away from the T.V. is to just turn it off and tell them to go do something outside. This may work initially but I feel like we can do more to help our gamers find something they want to do that will get them away from video games for a while.

It is with that in mind that I am starting a new series of posts covering topics I feel might interest your gamer. Not all of these are going to work for every gamer. They are just ideas you can try.

The first one I want to mention is remote controlled vehicles.

Now, to be clear, I am not talking about the $50 RC cars you get at Wal-Mart. I am talking about serious vehicles you build. The great thing about that is it gives your gamer something physical to tinker with, will get him outside, and will teach him about things like motors and aerodynamics.

Here are a few videos to give you an idea what these vehicles can do.


RC Truck


RC Plane


RC Boat

Here are some sites you might mention to your gamer to gage interest:

Magazines:
Radio Control Car Action – http://www.rccaraction.com/
RC Driver – http://rcdriver.com/

Online Store
Tower Hobbies – http://www.towerhobbies.com/
Electric cars at Tower Hobbies – http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/WTI0297p?C=CA
Airplanes at Tower Hobbies – http://www3.towerhobbies.com/listings/cat-a.html
Boats at Tower Hobbies – http://www3.towerhobbies.com/listings/cat-b.html

As you can see at Tower Hobbies, this is not a cheap hobby. You can get started for a couple hundred dollars but the prices then go up considerably.

However, if you can get over the sticker shock, this could potentially be something that would interest your more technically inclined gamer.

Filed Under: Alternative Ideas Tagged With: Alternatives to Gaming, Balance, RC Vehicles

Eric Rogers August 14, 2015

Parenting Gamers Review – Wolfenstein: The New Order

Here is my next video review. In this video, I give you a quick overview of Wolfenstein: The New Order, go over the rating and content, and let you know if I think it is good for your gamer.

If you enjoyed this video, please sign-up for my email list to receive notifications when I release new ones.

Transcript:


Hello, my name is Eric Rogers from parentinggamers.com and this is Parenting Gamers Review of Wolfenstein: The New Order. In this video, I am going to give you a quick overview of the game, go over the rating and content, and let you know if I think it is good for your gamer.

So the first question is, what is Wolfenstein: The New Order?

Wolfenstein: The New Order is a first-person shooter. This means the player experiences the game from the first-person perspective, as if she was actually in the game. You can get an idea of what I mean from this clip here.

The story line of Wolfenstein is that the player plays as B.J. Blazkowicz, a U.S. solder fighting the Nazis in World War 2. It then follows an alternate time line where B.J. fights the Nazis in 1960 after they won the war.

Looking at this clip, you may start to make the comparison to Call of Duty. While it is similar, Wolfenstein uses the alternate time line as a license to add some fantastical elements, like dueling welding machine guns or laser weapons.

So what about the content?

A quick warning. I am about to show you some clips explaining the rating Wolfenstein: The New Order received. These clips are graphic and contain strong language and sexual content.

Wolfenstein: The New Order is rated M, which is the equivalent of an R rating in the movies. The rating includes these 5 descriptors:

“Blood and Gore” and “Intense Violence”

“Strong Language”

“Strong Sexual Content”

and “Use of Drugs”

The last thing I want to mention with the content is that Wolfenstein is single player only so you do not have to worry about a multiplayer component.

So, what’s the verdict? Is Wolfenstein: The New Order a game you should allow your gamer to play?

When I first started playing Wolfenstein, I expected to be able to give it a similar recommendation as I did for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. I expected to be able to say that you should treat it like you would any rated R war movie. If you are ok with your gamer watching something like Saving Private Ryan, this game would be ok for you. However, the sexual content in the game makes me take a step back.

In my review of Grand Theft Auto 5, I talked about how allowing your gamer to play that game is the same as bring pornography into your home. While the content in Wolfenstein in tame by comparison, I feel the analogy holds.

I have to admit, I am frustrated. Here is what the ESRB says about the sexual content in this game:

“During the course of the game, characters sometimes engage in sexual activity (e.g., a man thrusting against a woman on a table; a woman gyrating on top of a man in bed—camera angles largely obscure the sex act and no nudity is depicted.).”

The last part of that (that the “camera angles largely obscure the sex act and no nudity is depicted”) made me think this game would be ok. However, when I got to the scene I showed you, it was a lot more graphic than I expected. More over, there is no way to avoid it or skip it.

It is with this in mind that I cannot recommend Wolfenstein: The New Order.

If you enjoyed this video, please visit me at parentinggamers.com and sign-up for my email list. Signing up with get you notifications when I release new videos and give you a free copy of my e-book, Connecting with Your Teenager Through Video Games. Thanks for watching.

Filed Under: Video Reviews Tagged With: Reviews, Videos, Wolfenstein: The New Order

Eric Rogers August 13, 2015

Gaming Careers – Streamer/YouTuber

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This is a new series highlighting different careers that might interest your gamer in the video game industry. It will hopefully give you ideas that you can talk about with your gamer to help him/her use gaming to understand himself/herself better.

The first gaming career I wanted to highlight is the streamer or YouTuber.

This is career is pretty new to the video game industry. The rise of high speed internet and more powerful computers has led to the ability of gamers to create videos of themselves playing game and share them with others. It has also led to the ability of games to stream video of themselves playing in real-time so others can watch.

The two big sites these players use are YouTube (which you probably know) and Twitch (which you may not). Here’s how they work.

How does a streamer/YouTuber make money?

The first question is, how do you make money doing this? The answer to that depends on the route you take.

Publishing Videos on YouTube

YouTube allows the user to create a channel to which other users can subscribe. Their subscribers are notified whenever the user uploads a new video to their channel.

Initially, YouTube was a fun way to share videos of yourself with your friends. However, it became a strong site for businesses when it added advertising. The creator can enable ads on their video which will be shown whenever a user watches the video. The creator is then given a percentage of the ad revenue every time the ad is viewed.

Obviously, the way you make serious money on YouTube is by having a ton of subscribers viewing your videos.

Streaming Videos on Twitch

Making money on Twitch is a bit different. Along with advertising, Twitch offers viewers the opportunity to purchase a subscription to specific channels. Subscribing gives the viewer several features, including access to a subscriber only chat and special emotes.

These subscription cost the viewer $5 a month. That cost is split between Twitch and the channel creator. As with YouTube, this is all about the numbers. The more people you have watching your stream, the more subscribers you will have and the more money you will make.

How much money is there to be made doing this?

As a parent, we want to make sure we set our kids up for success. We want them to have the knowledge and skills they need to earn a good living. We do not want them to struggle.

At this point, I am sure you are asking whether making videos of yourself playing video games is really something you can make good money doing. The answer to that question is yes, it is possible.

The biggest channel on YouTube is run by PewDiePie. He is a Swedish guy who has built a following playing through games and being goofy. At the time of this writing, he has over 38 million subscribers on his channel.

Recently it was revealed that PewDiePie’s company made $7.4 million in profit in 2014. And yes, that says profit, not revenue. So yes, it is definitely possible to make a ton of money doing this.

Now, obviously, this is the extreme example. The VAST majority of people who do this are not making much, let alone coming close to as much as PewDiePie. But it is possible to make a living doing this, if you are willing to put in the effort.

How would my gamer get started?

The good thing about this career is it is extremely easy to get started. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One both come with the ability to stream gameplay. If your gamer is a PC gamer, there the free software OBS to get them started.

From there, it’s just a matter of signing up for accounts on YouTube and Twitch and then start playing. Of course it is hard work to build a following that will generate substantial income but at least your gamer could figure out if this is something she enjoys quickly.

Who is doing this?

Here are some examples of people who are making a good living as a streamer/YouTuber

YouTube:

  • TotalBiscuit – One of my favorites. He has a series call “WTF Is…” where he gives a 30 minute snapshot of a game to let the viewer know what it is all about.
  • Boogie2988 – This channel is a lot more crass but at over 2.5 million subscribers will give you an idea of a big channel. Just to be clear, the Francis you see on this channel is a character, not the actual person.
  • LifesAGlitchTV – This is a smaller channel with a lot of StarCraft 2 videos.
  • LDShadowLady – This channel shows it’s not just the guys that can build a huge following.

Twitch (I don’t watch as much streaming. These are recommendations from PC Gamer):

  • BreaK71
  • Guardsman Bob
  • Purge
  • Oshi7

Filed Under: Gaming Careers Tagged With: Balance, Benefits, Gaming Careers, Tips

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