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.
The GamerParents of PAX
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Posted on September 30th, 2008 by
I shopped this around but it was held and deemed too personal by one site – deemed now out of date by other sites – which is why I never write on spec. But this needed to be written. Some of you know this remarkable story but maybe people will link it around some. It’s a great tale and all about GamerDad and my special relationship with Penny-Arcade, Child’s Play Charity, and PAX.
Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway – Content Review
Posted on September 30th, 2008 by
From WhatTheyPlay: Hell’s Highway tells the story of a single paratrooper unit during Operation Market Garden. The Allies are invading the Netherlands and pushing back against a fearsome German force. Anyone steeped in WWII drama will find the plot points familiar, and parents need to know that innocent citizens rescued by you meet grim fates. Women and even a child are not spared. There’s a drawn out death scene and several friends die in the game. There’s a lot of drama going on between the harrowing combat portions – the cut-scenes and movies alone merit the ESRB’s M-rating.
Ask GamerDad 9/26/08
Posted on September 29th, 2008 by
This week we balance homework and chores with sex and violence. It’s fun to be a parent. Presenting: The most recent Ask GamerDad!
Read with your kids for Banned Books Week
Posted on September 28th, 2008 by
This week marks the 27th annual ‘Banned Books Week’. The supporters call it ” the only national celebration of the freedom to read.” It also marks the 60th anniversary of a book burning in Binghamton NY where a group of Catholic school students led a burning of over 2000 books and mostly comic books. They also combed the local area and threatened businesses who carried what they considered ‘inappropriate’ comic books with boycott. This is relevant because the way comics were regarded back then largely echoes the way video games are treated now. more…
The Lemmings Are Coming!
Posted on September 28th, 2008 by
I just got the PSP version of Lemmings really cheap, so in honor of one of my favorite 2-D puzzler game series, I thought I’d give a brief rundown on each game in the line. Let’s go!
Paul Newman RIP
Posted on September 27th, 2008 by
Paul Newman, actor/charitable businessman genius mogul passed away today at 83. A classic only gets better with age and that’s certainly true for this one. Not my favorite role of his (my favorite is him dressed as a Mexican Bandito from his tasty line of Salsas) but this is the one that will be missed in my home. Watch Cars again, it’s better than you remember, and Mr. Newman was one fancy racer for a grandpa car.
Retrospective: SiN (1998 PC FPS)
Posted on September 26th, 2008 by
Context is everything. I hadn’t touched SiN since replaying SiN Gold when it was released for the Mac in 2000. Then they released the first ‘episode’ of SiN Episodes, called ‘Emergence‘ in 2006, which came with a Steam copy of ‘SiN 1′ as it was called. Naturally I played some then as I waited for the release of the episode, but didn’t make it all the way through. Since it is now ten years since the original release, I thought it only appropriate that I should do a Retrospective for a franchise that has spent its’ life in the shadow of Half Life. more…
Modding, piracy, homebrew, and you
Posted on September 24th, 2008 by
Software piracy – copying programs and games so that you can run them without paying for them – has been around as long as software itself. Modifying a machine (“modding” in today’s parlance) to get it to do something it wasn’t designed to do is also a time-honored tradition. Long thought of by developers as a nuisance, the advent of the internet and lightning-fast transfer of pirated software has created a real problem for publishers. In this article I want to look at how this shady scene can affect your family, perhaps even in a positive way.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (DS, PSP)
Posted on September 24th, 2008 by
I had two thoughts as I was playing The Force Unleashed on the PSP over the past week. First, the ‘secret apprentice’ reminded me of Rosh Penin (from Jedi Academy) with a better haircut, less Ritalin and more angst. Second, this might just be the most exciting non-LEGO Star Wars lightsaber-based handheld game ever released.
Game Review: Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise (DS)
Posted on September 24th, 2008 by
