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.
FAST FOOD PANIC CONTEST!
FAST FOOD PANIC CONTEST DEADLINE IS OVER! THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED! WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BY E-MAIL.
Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games
My son Henry (6) is really smitten with this one and, while I don’t think it’s the best minigame collection available (it’s got nothing on Wii Sports Resort) it’s a solid party game for when you’re eyes are done bleeding from Olympic coverage. The genius is that they kept it simple. Every minigame here, and there are a lot of them, is generally controlled by simple remote movements. Bowl to send the curling weight, if you’re playing curling, as your teammates frantically brush ahead of it as if their remotes were brooms – man that is a weird sport. Bobsledding means tilting the remote to hug the turns, hockey is simple and even skiing is quick and intuitive.
A HEAVY Rain is Gonna Fall
Hard Heavy Rain hasn’t come out yet, I believe it’s due in late February (PS3 only), but it promises to be a violent adult kind of game. How adult? Here’s what the ESRB had to say :
Game Review: Foto Face: The Face Stealer Strikes (DSi)
So you’ve played games starring plumbers, hedgehogs, warriors, mercenaries, and maybe even a lawyer or two. But have you ever played a game starring YOU? Yes, you. Your face, your voice. Well now you can in Foto Face: The Face Stealer Strikes, a downloadable DSiWare game for the Nintendo DSi.
CoDMW2 – A Difficult Question
Wasif asks: I’m 15 years old and my dad is making a huge deal about me playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. He even took it away after just a couple of weeks of playing it. I honestly (and i’m not leaving out any details) do not understand why. … Now that it’s gone, I’ve asked my dad for it several times and he tells me that these games are addictive and nothing more than mindless killing. I know this is because my dad is a psychiatrist and he deals with people who have addictions to this everyday. He sees people who are addicted to this game and believes that I am one of them, when I certainly am not. Can someone please help me with my dilemma?
Game Review: Littlest Pet Shop (DSiWare)
The Littlest Pet Shop toy line is a super popular collection of miniature, wide-eyed, bobble headed critters and accessories. They’ve recently expanded into online games and plush, and it’s one of the biggest toys for girls at present. And now they can have fun with their petite pets on the go with Littlest Pet Shop for DSiWare, a downloadable virtual pet simulator for the Nintendo DSi handheld.
DSiWare Review: MySims Camera
The cuter, more family friendly MySims spinoffs of the regular Sims games have taken off in popularity recently. And now you can really get into the picture with MySims Camera, a downloadable photo application for your DSi.
DS for 4 1/2?
Stephanie Asks – Do you have a recommended age for the DS lite? My Daughter is 4 1/2 and had the leapster but seems almost bored with it. I have heard the DS lite has many games that require reading… Are there enough games she could use to keep her attention?
Game Review: Serious Sam HD (PC, Xbox LIVE)
Back around the year 2000 or so, the cult favorite first person shooter, Serious Sam, was released on PC. While most FPS games were starting to gravitate toward more story-driven gameplay around this time, Serious Sam stood out by being more straight up arcade action. Now you can relive the classic FPS title with shiny new high-def graphics with Serious Sam HD on PC and Xbox LIVE (Xbox LIVE version reviewed here).
PS3 for Family?
Ethan Writes: Hello! My family has a Wii, and “Wii” all enjoy it. But I
want a PS3, but my parents say no. I have tried to convince them with
things like showing that this system has games that would appeal to
All of us and I need some help. Do you think that the Playstation 3
is a good family console?

