My dad enjoys hunting, fishing and fighting fires. I love reading, philosophy and not exerting myself too often. While we may not have a ton in common however, we play a lot of games together. He likes shooting games with military themes since he is bored by the slow-moving, story-driven games I play by myself. I'm not going to follow his footsteps in the fire department and he wasn't going to read Kant with me. Instead, we've bonded over virtual battlefields.
This is not something that's unique to me or my family. Steven struggles to find common ground with his children, just as my father. One of his daughters is a professional dancer. The other daughter is in band. However, as the girls have grown older, playing video games has brought the whole family closer.
"I've been an avid gamer since my time in college and my daughters have just started picking up the game," he told me. "About six to seven years ago, I got my oldest daughter a computer. We began playing games against one another and with each other. "I met Steven at QuakeCon in Dallas, TX, where the two daughters Nicole and Maya were getting ready to play a game of Torchlight 2. "We used to have a room [at home] where all the computers were," Steven told me when I asked whether they played a variety of games together as a family. "We'd just sit there and just play for hours and hours."
They play various games together, including Borderlands and The Secret World, though Steven told me that both he as well as Maya 11, currently have a fascination with Minecraft. Proving the idea that Minecraft is like a modern day Lego set The two make and create together. "I actually am a fan of Minecraft. We'll connect to a server and make things together.
It's not just the games. Theirs is also a house of technology. Nicole's relatives arranged to get Nicole the part she needed for an entirely new computer. Her father also built it together. They learned how to put in hardware in the same manner that other children learn how to change the tire on an automobile. "I try to teach themthat 'This is what you have to do when building a computer,' so that way they are able to complete things by themselves," Steven said. "I've attempted to make them as independent as is possible."
Although you might love doing things together at home, it's not enough to guarantee good family time. Sometimes life can get in the way and you'll need a break to be able to spend time with your loved ones. Where do you go when your family is already exploring fantastical kingdoms (albeit virtual)?
Steven's family chose QuakeCon because it takes place in their state. The Bethesda-hosted event is described as the biggest free LAN event in the world and attracts thousands to Dallas. "It makes us focus on being together," Steven said. "And it's just kind of fun to go out and look around at what other people are playing and what new games are coming out ... It's something we all love doing, and it's not too expensive.
They don't travel on their own. QuakeCon is a group activity, much like families who camp with their friends. Steven and his daughters attended with a group of friends, including Nicole's friend Sean. "His dad and I have become good friends," Steven said. "I would invite Sean and him to our house to have mini LAN events. I would invite three to four of my friends, and my daughters would join me. It will be a great time at home. In the last couple of years, QuakeCon has been another thing to do together.
"I don't know if it was the family sitting at dinner saying, 'We should go to the mall!" Sean, who is 17 told me. While his mother, father and brother, 7 years old, Reid, were away Sean was playing in the Bring Your Own Computer area of QuakeCon. "It was more my dad and me saying"This is kick A, we need to to this,' and the other two kind of got carried along. Especially with [Steven's family] coming, we're close with them and we all play together anyway, so they suggested, 'You guys should come and play, and it just sort of took place."
They find booking rooms in hotels to play a weekend of video games to be one of the most natural things they could do. minecraft-servers.xyz It ought to be. Anyone under 18 years old today is born into a world in which video games are a regular activity for millions. It's been a while since video games were something parents were aware of. Instead, they are something that adults can enjoy with their children.
Steven's oldest daughter, who will be attending college near home, is going to college. However, he hopes that QuakeCon can provide a reason for all of the family members to get together and play games over the weekend. He added, "I have at least six to seven years with my youngest." "But we'll continue for as long as is possible," he said.
What's important is that they're having fun together now. "The main thing we're here for is kind of a getaway. It's just to play video games and sort of hang out. Time with Daddy." Britton Peele a freelance writer from Texas, is the author of this article. His work has been featured on GameSpot, GamesRadar and The Dallas Morning News. You can follow him on Twitter as @BrittonPeele.
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