| The internet touches every aspect of your
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| | FPS stands for First Person Shooter. They
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| children's lives. Where you might look up
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| | are First Person in the same since that a
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| an unknown word in a dictionary, your
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| | story might be. That is, the player sees
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| kids are more likely to use Where you
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| | the world through the eyes of a single
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| use the telephone, they use instant
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| | character and interacts with the game
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| messenger. An even greater difference can
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| | environment as though he were that
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| be found in how they play games. Where
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| | character. Shooter comes from the primary
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| the games of their parent's generation
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| | goal of most such games, the shooting of
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| may have involved a board, cards, or at
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| | whatever happens to be the bad guy. FPS
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| their most sophisticated a console
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| | games are among some of the most popular
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| system, the games your children play on
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| | online. Common examples include Doom,
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| the net can be far more complex. They
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| | Battlefield:1942, and the X-Box game
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| mine gold, spread empires, fight dragons
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| | Halo. From a parental perspective, these
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| and aliens alone or with tens, hundreds,
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| | games can be cause for concern. They vary
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| even thousands of their fellow gamers.
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| | widely in the amount of realism, degree
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| All of this makes for a confusing mish
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| | of violence, language, and general
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| mash of names, places, jargon and lingo
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| | attitude. The only way to get a good idea
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| that can leave you with no idea what your
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| | of the content issues is to watch the
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| kids are actually doing and a vague
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| | particular game. If your kids don't want
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| feeling of uneasiness that some part of
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| | you watching while they play, then fire
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| it might not be good for them.
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| | up the game yourself sometime when they
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| What's appropriate for your kids is a
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| | aren't around. There is a sizeable
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| decision only you can make. How much
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| | variation in how violent and how personal
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| violence they are exposed to, how much
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| | FPS content can be from game to game. The
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| time they spend in front of a screen and
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| | single player portion of Halo, for
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| how much contact they have with the
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| | example, has players fighting against
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| faceless strangers so common to the net
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| | alien invaders with largely energy
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| are all questions you must grapple with
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| | weapons and a minimum of realistic human
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| and, in the end, decide for your family.
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| | suffering. In contrast, WWII themed games
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| While we can't help you make these rough
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| | tend to go out of their way to show
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| decisions, we can certainly help you get
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| | realistic violence. Given the subject
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| the information you need to understand
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| | matter, this is appropriate for the game,
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| your children's hobbies better, both to
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| | but may not be for your kids. Online play
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| make informed judgments about what they
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| | presents a potentially greater concern.
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| should and should not be doing, and to
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| | The goal of online FPS games is almost
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| help you reach into another part of their
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| | always killing other players. While some
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| lives that may have previously seemed
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| | games do have various modes where this is
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| like something of a puzzle box.
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| | a secondary goal, all of them give the
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| The Easy Stuff
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| | player a gun and encourage him to use it
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| The simplest type of online game is the
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| | on characters representing other people.
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| sort of Flash or Java driven game that
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| | Simulated gore and the use of violence
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| you generally see running inside your web
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| | against others to achieve goals may be
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| browser. This type of game tends to be
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| | things you don't want your kids exposed
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| relatively simple compared to the stand
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| | to. Again, these are your decisions to
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| alone games discussed later. Common
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| | make, but we encourage you to make them
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| examples include Bejeweled, Zuma, and
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| | with as much information as possible.
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| Diner Dash. These games are almost
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| | Talk to your kids. Find out what they
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| universally single player and have none
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| | think, in their words, is going on in the
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| of the sort of violent or mature content
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| | game. Make sure they see the line between
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| that keeps parents up at night. Were they
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| | what happens in the game and what happens
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| movies, they would be G Rated, with
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| | in the real world, between what it's okay
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| perhaps the occasional game stretching to
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| | to simulate and what it's okay to do. The
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| PG. If this is the type of game your kids
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| | answers may surprise you. If your
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| are into then first, be relieved. Then,
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| | children understand the differences, see
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| try the game out. Many of these games can
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| | real violence as deplorable and simulated
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| be very enjoyable for even the most
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| | violence as part of the game then FPS
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| casual of players. Some, such as
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| | games, even online ones, can be a
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| Bookworm, even have genuine educational
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| | perfectly healthy way to have fun and let
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| content. These games can be as much an
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| | off steam. In the end, it falls on you to
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| opportunity for bonding and learning as
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| | make sure that what your child gets out
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| throwing around a baseball in the
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| | of the game is good for him or her.
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| backyard, and have the added bonus of
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| | Next time, we'll talk about RTS and
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| being much easier to get your kids to sit
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| | MMORPG, the two other common types of
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| down with you and play.
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| | commercial online game and touch on the
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| FPSs: Finding Something to Shoot
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| | twin demons of addiction and predation.
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