Welcome to GamerDad: Gaming with Children. My name is Andrew S. Bub - the GamerDad - and I've been writing about videogames, movies, and children for over 15 years now. After working as a magazine journalist, I switched gears to write about how media violence affects children, educating parents about them, and working closely with magazines, newspapers, major retailers and even politicians. GamerDad is an internationally recognized expert in this field. Games, movies and media are fun, kids and families love them, they aren't going away. So join me in cutting through the hype and lets have a real conversation about the things that matter: Video Games, Violent Media, and their supposed effect on children and families.
Welcome to GamerDad: Gaming with Children. My name is Andrew S. Bub - the GamerDad - and I've been writing about videogames, movies, and children for over 15 years now. After working as a magazine journalist, I switched gears to write about how media violence affects children, educating parents about them, and working closely with magazines, newspapers, major retailers and even politicians. GamerDad is an internationally recognized expert in this field. Games, movies and media are fun, kids and families love them, they aren't going away. So join me in cutting through the hype and lets have a real conversation about the things that matter: Video Games, Violent Media, and their supposed effect on children and families.
E3 2018 Part 1: Cary’s Re-Return to E3
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Posted on June 20th, 2018 by
The Electronics Entertainment Expo, or E3 for short, is one of the biggest trade shows in the video game industry, and I’ve been going to it nearly every year since 1997. Sure I’ve skipped a few years here and there. Like when I didn’t have an outlet to write on for a short while between the newspaper and GamerDad. Or when I just started a new job and didn’t have enough money or vacation time. Or when E3 went through a bit of a downsizing phase and I didn’t feel like it was worth the trip then. But those absences were all my choice. I’ve been able to go nearly every year otherwise. But for the past five years, I was denied a press pass for whatever reason. Yet somehow, this year I was able to get a media pass even though nothing had changed. So last week I went to E3, and here’s some articles about it!
D&D RPG Update: Summer 2018
Posted on June 19th, 2018 by
The popularity of the Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying game continues to gain traction, particularly with the college/young adult set. With the advent of streamers (gamers who put their D&D sessions online, many of the most popular ones made by voice actors and other entertainment professionals) more and more people are being turned onto the hobby. The current edition of D&D (now in its 5th Edition) has gone back to its “roots” making the game play faster and allowing more “theater of the mind” style play. Gamers can still bust out miniatures and terrain (such as those published by WizKids’ Icons of the Realms line) and have their tactical battles, but it is no longer a necessary component of every game night. In tandem with the new edition, Wizards of the Coast has stepped back from releasing supplement after supplement with enough frequency to cause a glut of books for gamers to buy. Instead, they’ve focused on just two or three big releases each year, allowing gamers to stay “current” with all the books without breaking the bank. This past year, they’ve released two big supplements and one big adventure path. The Tomb of Annihilation takes players through a dinosaur-infested jungle adventure, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything greatly expands player options, and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes provides GMs with new background information and more of the higher-level monsters to include in their games.
Happy Father’s Day – We’re 15!
Posted on June 18th, 2018 by
Um, hi?
It’s been a while. Sorry. First off, lets have a very warm round of applause for Mr. Simon Windmill, Mr. Cary Woodham, and every reader reviewer. I’ve been near, watching, reading, and liking but… Let me explain.
West of Loathing (Switch, PC)
Posted on June 18th, 2018 by
This unique downloadable game on Switch and PC (reviewed on Switch here) has a Wild West motif to it, but that’s not what makes it stand out. All the graphics are black and white and look like doodles in a schoolkid’s notebook! Even all the characters are stick people! In the game, cows have turned into evil demonic creatures and it’s up to you to head out west and try to stop them. Or not. You can do pretty much whatever you want in this pseudo open world adventure RPG.
Nintendo Labo Wrap Up
Posted on June 15th, 2018 by
So over the past few weeks I’ve written several articles about Nintendo Labo. But since these articles were so spread out, I figured I’d bunch links to them all here for easy access for people who want to read them all. So dig in and check out all about Nintendo’s creative cardboard folding video games on the Switch!
Free Arcade Gaming at the Airport
Posted on June 14th, 2018 by
I was in an airport terminal in Paris this past week and noticed they had several kiosks scattered about where you could pick up a PS4 controller and play a game while you waited. Each location I saw had two kiosks with three setups suitable for two players each (making a total of 12 possible gamers at one time.) I saw a fighting game, some platformer I didn’t recognize at a distance, and a copy of FIFA 2018 getting a lot of play. That didn’t catch my eye too much until I came across a small arcade with almost a dozen classic coin-operated games available. They were clearly all emulators of some type but they had decent controls and were all free. Details after the jump…
Disco Dodgeball Remix (PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
Posted on June 13th, 2018 by
Before Wii Sports came along, my top favorite video game sports title was Super Dodge Ball on the NES. So whenever I see a new dodgeball video game come out, I get very curious. Disco Dodgeball Remix is a new downloadable game available for all the current home game consoles, but reviewed on PS4 here. So does it reach new dodgeball heights? You’ll just have to read on to find out!
Reader Review: God of War (PS4)
Posted on June 11th, 2018 by
I generally only review games that interest me. I’d love to do more than that to have more variety on this site, but I’m only one person and can’t play everything out there. So when my brother Ben asked to review the new God of War game for this site, I said “Absolutely!” It’ll be nice to have some variety here, so click here and read his review of the new God of War game, something that’s not really my personal cup of tea. –Cary
Nintendo Labo Piano
Posted on June 8th, 2018 by
The last thing you can build with the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit is a piano! And it really works, too. But not like a regular piano. It’s also the most complicated thing you build, but also the most impressive. So let’s tickle the corrugated ivories and check out this cardboard instrument!
Shantae: 1/2 Genie Hero Ultimate Edition (PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on June 6th, 2018 by
The Shantae game series has always been one of my favorites, ever since the original on Game Boy Color (which I still have). The newest game in the series, ½ Genie Hero, came out last year, and now you can get the Ultimate Edition which includes all the previous DLC plus some new surprises. It’s available for all the current home consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
