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[meanspartan]

Let him play what he wants. If he is having fun, isn't that all the matters?

Ya except real games are fine wine and PayOrWait are worthless but addicting crack. I honestly think they are straight up not good for you, playing on the same triggers that get people to keep putting coins in slot machines.

you obviously cant force him to not play that trash, but try playing some better games with him. Guide him! Lol

There are some great options on mobile that arent PayOrWait. Start there

 

[Freeser]

I have an 8 year old son that is very similar. He doesn't have a ton of F2P mobile games but they definitely take precedence over the hundreds of dollars worth of xbox one games and retro emulated games he has at his disposal in his room. I have had to take these games away on a couple occasions to be sure he stays focused on what important. All in all he is a great student and very active in sports so they have not cut into that aspect of his life too much so I can't complain. If I saw those things start to suffer I would definitely make him change his gaming habits. Give Clash a shot though, my son and I are in the same clan and it is fun to talk about attack and upgrade strats with him.

 

[stuminus3]

Who do you think B.F. Skinner was?

I know exactly who B.F Skinner was. What are you getting at?

 

[spekkeh]

A Skinner box is where you train a subject to perform actions and in return you get positive stimuli. This happens in every game, minus some indie art titles. This is not a free to play issue, and if you think it is, publishers are doing their jobs. COD? You kill people and are rewarded with new perks, and weapons. In the new one you don't even have to level up. Mario? You jump and kill enemies to get to the end of the level, to get a new level and world. GTA? You beat missions that get you weapons to cause mayhem. These are all skinner boxes, and it's done like that on purpose. EVERY game maker makes games to keep you coming back, to have you commit an action and get a positive reinforcement out of it, because then you come back and buy the next one. The only difference is, you've deluded yourself into thinking that as long as you pay $60 up front, it's okay. It's not psychological manipulation, that's only for free to play games.

The point of skinner boxes is that it's behaviorist. The action is not important, it's about the reward. You can train pigeons to do the most inane stuff. With "real" games, the action is important.

 

[spekkeh]

I know exactly who B.F Skinner was. What are you getting at?

It's hardcore psychology.

 

[UncleSporky]

Well, think of it this way.

20 years ago, should kids not have been allowed to have tamagochis? After all, they were encouraged to come back to spend time with it a dozen times a day. Keep it fed and cleaned. A lot like keeping your crops watered, huh?

 

[stuminus3]

It's hardcore psychology.

But we're talking hard core psychology. With bold and italics and stuff!

 

[wildfire]

Let him play what he wants. If he is having fun, isn't that all the matters?

Normally I would agree with this but a parent has to be guiding influence on games designed to hunt whales. A child is going to be manipulated too easily by their gambling addiction tactics.

 

[Coconut]

The sheer availability of these type of games makes for order-of-magnitude difference. Not to mention arcade games had actual costs - costs that help a parent modulate behaviour.

What do you mean when you say "costs"?

 

[Mesoian]

But we're talking hard core psychology. With bold and italics and stuff!

I thought we were talking about "Hard Core Psychology".

I don't know OP, if you want to ween him off those games, you'll probably have to find something that he'll have fun with in a social spectrum. The only way you'll do that is by playing with him.

My friend is into that new co-op poker thing, it looks interesting. I might try it when I get bored.

Normally I would agree with this but a parent has to be guiding influence on games designed to hunt whales. A child is going to be manipulated too easily by their gambling addiction tactics.

I mean, I don't like the model either, but it's not THAT much different than old coin op arcades, is it? We grew up with those and came out fine.

 

[Coconut]

Normally I would agree with this but a parent has to be guiding influence on games designed to hunt whales. A child is going to be manipulated too easily by their gambling addiction tactics.

If that's your concern you probably shouldn't let kids play most non free to play games nowadays.

 

[Hazaro]

...yes, you feel bad... and you pay money. What do you think all that stuff is for?

But I haven't. I just want to try to min max

 

[Lanrutcon]

Lock him in a tower with Demon Souls. Don't let him out until he's finished it. Or reached adulthood. Whichever comes first.

 

[VariantX]

I played a lot of stuff I'd consider crap or shallow as a kid and eventually played better stuff as my tastes changed. That being said, a lot of these F2P mobile games rely on things that make you manage the games rather than actually let the player sit down and play them. They want to link to other people to help you progress and make it extremely difficult to progress on your own without spending money to remove a grind wall/wait wall. Still, there are like a million options and wouldn't be surprised if your son stumbled on to something that might be better soon enough.

 

[petran79]

25 years ago those games would have cost you 50 $ each, so you're fine!

 

[MagnaderAlpha]

I'd say, let the kid play what he wants, but don't give him access to your credit card. Hell, I'd say, don't even allow any charges to your account regarding f2p, even if you kid begs and throws a tantrum. They can LIKE what they want, but when it comes to the charge, YOU hold the power and as long as YOU keep control over your bank account, you don't have to give your info to your kid. If they want it THAT bad, when they are of proper age(18 or so, I forgot how old I was when I opened my first bank account), then they are on their own. But as long as you are supplying the money, you can do whatever the hell you want with it far as your kid's concerned.

It's kinda become apparent that a lot of parents(hehe, that sounds funny) lose sight of their power and how they can control a situations when their kids are involved. Always remember, you hold the money, you hold the right as a adult(the right to consent to things that youth under the age of 18 lack) and YOU pay the bills(there for have the rights over internet and phone privileges).

That being said, a kid playing f2p without the ability to invest money into those games is harmless. Let him have his fun.

 

[7DollarHagane]

this shit will not be allowed in my house

 

[davepoobond]

this shit will not be allowed in my house

Help, my dad won't let me play TinyTower

 

[Not]

This is evidence of the first-ever gaming generational gap, yeah?

Pretty cool

 

[Yagharek]

I believe these games are scams, pure and simple. For the same reason we dont let kids gamble, we shouldn't let them play exploitative f2p mobile shit.

 

[jellies_two]

I believe these games are scams, pure and simple. For the same reason we dont let kids gamble, we shouldn't let them play exploitative f2p mobile shit.

^^ yes.
well not all f2p but the ones on the list the app store gives of "highest grossing" are definitely gambling, thinly disguised. Would you let your kids develop an online betting habit? no. Blocking the purchase button for coins is not enough because if the game cannot get money out of the player it demands their time, hoping they will convert later.

 

[Aizu_Itsuko]

You want to associate gaming with fun.

Being forced to play games you don't want to play is not fun. It will also backfire for you.

 

[matrixman92]

that boy aint right

 

[Anth0ny]

take that mobile device

smash it to pieces

and hand him a NES and a copy of castlevania

 

[fertygo]

I thought OP's child broke the bank account or something, but nope the father only has problem his child liking something.

SMH..

 

[Calabi]

You cant really stop him but I wouldn't let him play these games. They get him used to repetitive compulsive behaviours. Program his brain to like this sort of things. I guess its the future though, cant stop it, let it be, must consume and become one of the drones.

 

[PaulloDEC]

It bothers me a little that so many people are instantly taking the "leave him alone, let him play what he wants" line here. I mean, that's sensible to an extent, but let's not forget that a lot of these games are specifically designed to hook impressionable users into a gameplay loop that isn't easy to break out of. He may not be spending money on these things now, but the habits he's creating in the present might lead to that in the future.

The idea shouldn't be to force him to play "proper" games or whatever, but to make sure he isn't allowing himself to become addicted to something unhealthy. I'd just be keeping an eye on which games he's playing and for how long for a while.

Well, think of it this way.

20 years ago, should kids not have been allowed to have tamagochis?

Frankly, no. I remember those things being an unholy pain-in-the-ass at school, with other kids constantly having them taken away by teachers. They were like the distraction that keeps on giving.

 

[Maximo]

Scrape him, time to start Anew.

 

[KDR_11k]

Try some Kairosoft games, they have the same back patting highs of the cowclicker genre but don't have crap like realtime waits.

 

[Kirlia]

Anything that begs for money or utilizes long periods of waiting as a punishment for not spending money, persuade your kid to avoid those. Or, better yet, have him not play those games at all.

Are there any decent f2p games that don't constantly demand money and have some depth to their gameplay? Have him play those.

 

[pantsmith]

Give him extra screen time where, if he wants to take advantage of it, he has to play games you curate for him. Spend the time playing with him, make it a bonding experience like a book club.

Otherwise let him spend his time doing what he likes, he'll hopefully come to realize they're all samey and terrible.

 

[Dr. Black Jack]

I used to listen to Korn and Limp Bizkit.

He'll grow out of it.

 

[Mafia Films]

Show him the south park episode.

Them free to play pay to win games are a scam/poison to what gaming really is. They have a agenda behind them and it hooks kids/people into playing them not necessarily because of the game but "because" of how the game operates..its designed that way.

I see kids watching others playing minecraft on youtube and I for one was never interested in mine craft but im just wondering what is all going on myself when it comes to younger kids like that gaming.

I know back when I was 9 I had super nintendo and was playing genesis on the side with a bit of PC gaming oldschool and what was current back then.

 

[ShadyJ]

We have to accept as older gamers that touch screen freemium is the Super Mario bros of our children's generation.

My son loves Mine craft but also plays a few freemium games, I just disable in app purchases on the tablet.

He also likes console games which is good, he was hooked on CS Go for a while.

 

[Zing]

I wouldn't let a kid play most of the fremium shovelware. Many of those games are exploitative, Skinner-boxes based games, not that different to slot machines. I can't think those are good for a kid. Not even for many adults.

Bingo. I am willing to bet that most, if not all, people posting the single sentence replies of "if he's having fun, who cares?" do not have a child of their own.

These games are likely harmful. My daughter was into Hay Day for a while, but she's pretty much done with it now, as it consumes too much time. I didn't allow her to install others. I investigate every app she requests and have turned down most of them. Now she is spending her gaming time playing A Link Between Worlds and Scribblenauts.


You're child is nine years old. You most certainly have the right, and indeed the responsibility to control what they play.

 

[Two Words]

Tell him all games are free to play for him since he doesn't have to pay for them.

 

[ZackieChan]

Bingo. I am willing to bet that most, if not all, people posting the single sentence replies of "if he's having fun, who cares?" do not have a child of their own.

These games are likely harmful. My daughter was into Hay Day for a while, but she's pretty much done with it now, as it consumes too much time. I didn't allow her to install others. I investigate every app she requests and have turned down most of them. Now she is spending her gaming time playing A Link Between Worlds and Scribblenauts.


You're child is nine years old. You most certainly have the right, and indeed the responsibility to control what they play.

How much time does your daughter spend playing those other games? If OPs kid only gets an hour a day, what's the harm? I guess I just don't see how this stuff is a horrible and damaging as some are making it out to be. There is some serious overselling of the danger, I think. And use of the word "Skinner"...

 

[mrklaw]

How much time does your daughter spend playing those other games? If OPs kid only gets an hour a day, what's the harm? I guess I just don't see how this stuff is a horrible and damaging as some are making it out to be. There is some serious overselling of the danger, I think. And use of the word "Skinner"...

Same. If a child has regulated hours then a lot of the time boxed stuff won't work. They aren't driven to check on the game at 1pm because they're at school. They'll check in at 7pm after dinner and the next thing will probably be sitting there waiting.

Most F2P games arent burning down the barn if you don't check in, they're just unlocking things on timers, so the most efficient route is to check in regularly. But checking in less regularly is also fine, it just slows the pace of the game down. The game doesn't want you to do that, but if that is your structure (here governed by 1 hour of playtime set by the OP) then the game will bend to that just fine.

The point is the game doesn't have any real hold on you, it just preys on your weakness for that little fix every few hours. Child in the OP doesn't have that so I think any risk is incredibly low

 

[akira28]

As a parent, I think you are right to be concerned. There is a coercive nature to the design of some f2p games that children aren't equipped to handle. It's unhealthy to let them become obsessed, and you may need to intervene and set limits.

I agree. These games a lot of times use psychology to spur further interest and extend playing time with bells pretty colors. Kids are particularly susceptible to this, although, thankfully they don't have money to spend on freemium bullshit.

Just limit his time, let him do his thing, and he will grow out of it. Right now he' just enjoying the social aspect of gaming with his friends, which nets him group clique benefits outside of the home, I'm sure. So, let it be, but manage it.

 

[Boss Doggie]

Again, you parents are able to suggest.

Sometimes people can have fun on doing bad things too. We need to have moral values to choose and have fun on good things instead of going after bad.

These are video games, the worst they could do is charge you for p2w. Block the ability to buy stuff with cash and eventually the kid will realize why it's shit if he thinks it's bad. A freemium game that actually manages to be entertaining without buying stuff is a merit.

And then you pull a hypocritic post. I mean, you talk about "morals" then you spout "connectivity over quality of gameplay" shit like

People these days are after connected experiences more and want to play what their friends have so they can play together. Mostly nintendo games are not that very well connected as their online is always not good compared to PSN/LIVE for social experience except few games as they lack features.

 

[redcrayon]

Is it really any wonder that kids with limited money and lots of time have gravitated towards FTP games? When I was 9 in the late 1980s I was buying tapes for my 8-bit home computer at £1.99 a go every month, and copying/swapping them with friends, rather than pay £40+ for console games. If free computer games were available, I would have played them too.

I played enough paid-for shitty games back then that were flat-out broken, a total heart-sink when you've invested your valuable pocket money in them, to have thought 'free' average games were better than paying for a potentially awesome new one every time. Ah, the age in which I learned the hard way about marketing. "Yes, this fab screenshot is totally what your shitty Amstrad port will look like!"

 

[Wind's Howling]

This sounds like the OP wants to create and mold his kid, instead of letting him make choices for his own like every other sane kid.

Just do not give him a CC. That is all.

 

[biglittleps]

Again, you parents are able to suggest.

These are video games, the worst they could do is charge you for p2w. Block the ability to buy stuff with cash and eventually the kid will realize why it's shit if he thinks it's bad. A freemium game that actually manages to be entertaining without buying stuff is a merit.

These F2P games are mostly endless games so he never able to complete and might need to spend & play a lot to get bored which is not good thing as he will lose time on spending on this which is more valuable than cash. It will give addiction which will make people do crazy things to get that sometimes and to look for bad ways in order to have that even parents block cash.

And then you pull a hypocritic post. I mean, you talk about "morals" then you spout "connectivity over quality of gameplay" shit like

I'm talking about something different here which is peoples mind because mostly everyone like social aspects more in their everyday life which has become part of our life currently, so they wish to have same thing in games too just like old days where we can have fun in local player games. And mostly everyone is connected someway through internet these days and they want to have fun with friends even they are not at same place so they are looking at these online F2P games more as they don't need any money to get started and simple.

Nintendo does what the core fans and old days gamers want(who keep supporting due to their IP's strength) but not current generation mostly as they are looking for iPad, tablets, mobiles etc., I agree Nintendo have very good single player games but their games are not socially connected as they lack features or games that everyone interested in their systems and choices as they still rely on their IP's more than trying different for current generation which they do rarely so they don't have impact just like these F2P games on current generation kids. So my post was about nintendo games won't solve this problem of F2P addiction because here people looking after social connection in those games to play with friends which is not best in Nintendo platform currently.

 

[SPCTRE]

This is evidence of the first-ever gaming generational gap, yeah?

Pretty cool

You know what, that is pretty cool.

 

[Mendax]

This sounds like the OP wants to create and mold his kid, instead of letting him make choices for his own like every other sane kid.

Just do not give him a CC. That is all.

parents are there to step in when kids make wrong choices. That's normal. If you let a kid make its own choices it will end up in a ditch addicted to crack.

 

[Shengar]

"Let him develop his own taste in gaming"

What? I thought enthusiast people on Neogaf should know better. Parents, especially those who enthusiastic with their hobby should be the paragon of guidance of their child. No,
I'm not saying that OP should forced down his taste to his son, but letting his taste grow unwatched, and undirected is just as worse, especially when we considered that the son addicted to freemium game. FFS, we know that all freemium game is utilizing psychological manipulation to their end. How could a parent that know this shit just let it happened? I mean, playing freemium game one some occasion is fine, we all have our guilty pleasure. It's the "just let him be" part that disturb me since it mean it'll be fine if he just play freemium games only.

 

[Kurita]

Let him play what he wants, jesus...
As long as he doesn't use your CC it's fine.

 

[redcrayon]

I agree Nintendo have very good single player games but their games are not socially connected as they lack features or games that everyone interested in their systems and choices as they still rely on their IP's more than trying different for current generation which they do rarely so they don't have impact just like these F2P games on current generation kids.

Just on this point, I have to say I'm really impressed with both the social features on miiverse and the friendly multiplayer on Smash and MK. There is still something to be said for actually 'socially connected' games that don't work through the internet, i.e. couch multiplayer.

Their tech is years behind compared to online games for adults elsewhere, but in terms of being a safe, social space for kids, it's pretty good.

 

[Keasar]

I don't think OP is wrong.

F2P games are mostly designed around some really terrible psychological triggers to get people addicted to their gameplay and to, in the end, start paying the game an increasing amount of money that can quickly spiral out of control.

The son should be allowed to play what he considers fun, if he is being connected with his friends that is good, but it definitely should be kept in check to make sure it doesn't start going down wrong and he is soon hunting for his fathers/mothers credit cards.

Also make sure it doesn't get a Tamagotchi repeat. I had a few of those bastards when I was a kid, they were nothing good but a endless distraction from studies with pretty much the same design principles of being addictive and requiring more of your time. So glad the fad was over quickly where I lived.

 

[Jhotun]

This type of game is here to stay. It will change and mutate, but f2p has made such an impact in society that it is not about gaming anymore. Do not fight it, embrace it and learn from it. Keep an eye the money tho, it is easy to lose track of money spent in this games since they are designed in a way there is always something to pay for. That could end up being a problem, not being able to control how much you spend.