This week, I'll detail three more of the panels I'm looking forward to at this year's PAX. The first is on Friday at noon, and it's called Gamers With Jobs Presents: Gaming For Grown-ups.
Who said this was a young man's game? The gaming industry is getting older and so are its players. How have we changed as gamers as we become parents, responsible employees, business owners and (horror) adults? Do we spend more to play less? Do we wax nostalgic for an era that never really existed? Join us as we delve into what gaming means to us in our 30s, 40s and (gasp) 50s as we stumble ever closer to the grim reaper's dark embrace.
Ken Levine's on this panel. Should be interesting.
On Saturday night, there's a panel on the other side of the age scale, and it's called Raising the Next Generation of Geeks.
Should you let your toddler play Skyrim? What's the best way to introduce your child to RPGs? How do you handle it when your kid doesn't want to play a game because he thinks he'll lose? What do you say if your daughter says she likes "Twilight" more than "Buffy?" These questions and many more will be discussed by writers for GeekDad.com, GeekMom.com, and geek parents in the audience. Come share your stories and advice for how to ensure our kids grow up to be geeks like us! Don't have kids? Show up and find out what may be in store for you if you ever do!
My wife and I have been playing board games with our daughter for about a year now: Ravensburger Labyrinth, AnimalLogic, Castle Panic, Ticket to Ride, and even Small World. I keep my daughter well away from any video game with violence stronger than what you'd see in a Popcap game, but she has played Pixeljunk Monsters, Plants vs Zombies, Journey, and Super Mario Galaxy. Given that most of these are games I've played and enjoyed myself before I ever had kids, I think it says something.
We've also struggled with the issue of not wanting to play when my daughter has been afraid to lose. The spot-on nature of the panel summary makes me think I'd probably enjoy the discussion.
Lastly, a Sunday afternoon panel called How Young Is Too Young for Games?
HEY GAMER PARENTS: Are you excited to tabletop with you kids? Do you wonder if an iPad game is better than TV for your children? Come join the discussion/ranting as an all-star cast of leading Kid Games Developers, Wizards, and Mad Scientists discuss parenting issues and opportunities around gaming and the development of games specifically for kids.
Of all the panels, this is the one in which I'm most interested. My own daughter has largely lost interest in TV and movies and instead wants to play on the iPad all the time, so I'm totally down with the subject matter.