I recently happened upon this LoL forum posting, and associated Kotaku article.
The general summary is that forcing your child to stop playing LoL in the middle of a game for chores/bedtime/dinner/whatever hurts others players. The poster in question urges parents to think before they "pull the plug", and that they are negatively affecting up to 10 other people with this decision.
Selected quotes:
Now, my first impression was, honestly, shock. I'm kind of surprised the Kotaku article is generally in agreement. I'm no parent, but if I were, being a parent would be my #1 priority. Sure, maybe you should try to prohibit your child from jumping on a match of LoL 30 minutes before bedtime or 20 mins before dinner, but shit happens, they do it anyway. They are kids, after all. The whole post comes across as ignorant, kind of bossy, and all around out-of-touch.
I understand that it sucks for people that were playing. We've all been there playing online when someone disconnects. It sucks. But hey, life happens sometimes. Sometimes your kid has to go to bed or eat dinner or go to school. Sure, they probably shouldn't have started the game to begin with, but kids will be kids. It's unavoidable sometimes.
I love video games, but this just seems wholesale ridiculous to me. A disgruntled gamer telling parents how they should parent. I really don't want to respond "it's just a game". But...well....it is.
I'm not a parent, nor do I play LoL anymore, so maybe I don't have the right point of view on this. Love to hear other's opinions, especially parents who have kids who play games online, or better yet parents who are league players. It's an interesting issue in the hardcore e-sports-esque online gaming communities that has come up as of late, and I doubt the majority of parents even understand LoL is what it is.
What say you, GAF?
The general summary is that forcing your child to stop playing LoL in the middle of a game for chores/bedtime/dinner/whatever hurts others players. The poster in question urges parents to think before they "pull the plug", and that they are negatively affecting up to 10 other people with this decision.
Selected quotes:
While it is admirable that you are teaching children some responsibility to schedules, please stop neglecting to teach them responsibility to other people. Unless your child is playing a Custom Game, his actions will permanently affect the statistics of up to 9 other people.
If a game is in progress, do not interrupt it unless it is an emergency. You are affecting up to 10 people, not just your child.
Now you're probably thinking, "But what if my child takes advantage of me and starts a game 5 minutes before bedtime because now I'll feel guilty about making him quit a game in progress?" I have an answer for that. Are you ready for it? It's a two parter.
1. Let him finish the game. This sounds like you're letting your child walk all over you, but please just let the game finish normally and follow through with step 2.
Ground him. You're the parent.
2. Don't let him play League for a while. If your kid tries to exploit you, you don't have to stand for it. Step 1 is just about showing courtesy to other people and being responsible to the team. However, your child should definitely learn that there are consequences for all actions.
Now, my first impression was, honestly, shock. I'm kind of surprised the Kotaku article is generally in agreement. I'm no parent, but if I were, being a parent would be my #1 priority. Sure, maybe you should try to prohibit your child from jumping on a match of LoL 30 minutes before bedtime or 20 mins before dinner, but shit happens, they do it anyway. They are kids, after all. The whole post comes across as ignorant, kind of bossy, and all around out-of-touch.
I understand that it sucks for people that were playing. We've all been there playing online when someone disconnects. It sucks. But hey, life happens sometimes. Sometimes your kid has to go to bed or eat dinner or go to school. Sure, they probably shouldn't have started the game to begin with, but kids will be kids. It's unavoidable sometimes.
I love video games, but this just seems wholesale ridiculous to me. A disgruntled gamer telling parents how they should parent. I really don't want to respond "it's just a game". But...well....it is.
I'm not a parent, nor do I play LoL anymore, so maybe I don't have the right point of view on this. Love to hear other's opinions, especially parents who have kids who play games online, or better yet parents who are league players. It's an interesting issue in the hardcore e-sports-esque online gaming communities that has come up as of late, and I doubt the majority of parents even understand LoL is what it is.
What say you, GAF?