Notes

Families that Play together Remain Together

My dad is passionate about fishing, hunting, and fighting fires. I love philosophy, reading and not being too hard on myself. Although we might not have a lot in common but we do play lots of games together. Shooters for military are the most common, as he gets bored easily by the slower-moving stories-based games I usually play on my own. I never thought I'd follow in his footsteps at the fire department, and he was never going to read Kant with me. Instead, we've formed bonds through virtual battles.



This isn't something that's unique to me and my family. Steven struggles to find an agreement with his children, much like my father. One of his daughters is a professional dancer. The other daughter is in band. THEWATR As the girls get older and more independent, video games have brought the family closer.



He added, "I've been a gamer since college and my daughters are the ones who are just beginning to pick up the game." "About six to seven years ago, I purchased my oldest daughter a computer. She and I began playing games against each other and also with each other. "I met Steven at QuakeCon in Dallas, TX, where the two daughters Nicole and Maya were waiting to get into a game of Torchlight 2. "We used to have one room in our home that all computers were," Steven told me when I asked whether they played a lot of games as a unit. "We would sit down and play for hours."



They play various games together, such as Borderlands and The Secret World, though Steven told me that they as well as Maya, who is 11 years old, have a love for Minecraft. The evidence suggests that Minecraft is like an actual Lego set, the two of them make and create as a team. "I actually am a fan of Minecraft. We'll connect to a server and create things together.



It's not just about the games. It's also a home of technology. Nicole's relatives arranged to get Nicole a part for an entirely new computer. Her father also built it. They learned how to put in hardware the same way that other children learn to change the tires on an automobile. Steven stated, "I try and teach them, ‘This is how to go about building computer,’ so that they can build things on their own." "I've tried to make them as self-sufficient as possible."



Of course, having activities you enjoy doing at home does not always guarantee quality family time. Sometimes life gets in the way and you need to take a vacation to be able spend quality time with your loved ones. But where do you go when exploring magic kingdoms (albeit in a virtual way) is part of your normal family bonding?



Steven's family's answer was QuakeCon which is held in their state of residence. Marketed as the world's largest free LAN party, the Bethesda-hosted convention draws thousands of people to Dallas. Steven said, "It helps us focus on doing it together." It's an enjoyable experience to observe what others are doing and also what new things are coming out. It's something that all three of us enjoy doing, and I realized that it's right here in the area and it's not too expensive to travel and do it, so why not?"



They don't make the trek alone. Just as some families camp with their friends, QuakeCon tends to be an event for groups. Steven and his daughters went with friends, including Nicole's friend Sean and his family. "His dad and I have become good friends," Steven said. "I would invite him and Sean to our home to host mini LAN events at our house, and I would invite over three or four of my friends, and my daughters would also join in and we'd have a fun time at the house." QuakeCon has been a wonderful thing to do with my daughters over the last few years.



"I don't know if it was the family members sitting down for dinner and saying, "We should go!" Sean 17, 17, shared his story with me. While his father, mother and brother, 7 years old, Reid were out of town Sean was playing in the Bring Your Own Computer area of QuakeCon. "It was my dad and I saying, ‘This is kick A,' and the other two got dragged along. We're all friends with Steven's family and we all play together so they suggested we all join together.



They find booking rooms in hotels to play an entire weekend of video games one of the most natural things they do. And why shouldn't it? Anyone under the age of 18 today was born into a world where video games are an everyday activity for millions. It's been a long time since video games were something that parents understood. Instead, they're something that adults like to play with their children.



Steven's oldest daughter, who is attending college near home, is going to college. But he hopes that QuakeCon will provide a reason for the entire family to gather together and play games over the weekend. Steven said, "I have at least six to seven more years with my oldest." "But we'll keep it going for as long as is possible," he said.



It doesn't matter what they do, as long as they're enjoying their time together. "The main reason we're here is to take an escape. To just sit down and play video games and relax. Daddy daughter time." Britton Peele, freelance writer from Texas is the writer of this article. His work has been featured in GameSpot, GamesRadar, and The Dallas Morning News. Follow him on Twitter @BrittonPeele


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