Curse

Gaile Gray · Jun 04, 2007, 11:21 PM // 23:21

Hi, there,

In recognition of Father's Day, which is coming up (in the US, anyway) on June 17, our PR Team has asked me to locate a few fathers who play online games with their sons as a bonding activity and who are willing to talk to the press about their experiences.

The PR rep didn't say that these had to be remote players, so I am assuming that two people playing Guild Wars from the same home would be fine. And I don't have any parameters for age, either, so I'm assuming it could be a teenage son and father or a middle-age son and his senior father, or even a three-generation gaming family! The timeline is short, though: The PR team asks that I forward contact information by Thursday morning (Pacific Time, -7 GMT) of this week. PR will then will speak with some of the potential volunteers and pass along contact info to the reporter after that conversation.

What I would like to ask is that if you're interested--as father or son--and your counterpart is also up for the job, please drop an email to [email protected] with the follow:

* Full name of father and son
* Primary contact email address
* Contact email address for the other party(ies) involved
* Preferred telephone number for each
* Best time of day to contact via telephone

Hope to hear from you, and thanks!

Diddy bow · Jun 04, 2007, 11:27 PM // 23:27

This sounds like alot of fun

Quote:

I play video games with my son all the time. Guild Wars has been fun for both of us although there are other games that we bond better with such as StarCraft or HALO.

My 3 fav game of all time, you must be a cool dad ^^

Spazzer · Jun 04, 2007, 11:31 PM // 23:31

I would never let my son touch a video game. :]

GloryFox · Jun 04, 2007, 11:41 PM // 23:41

I play video games with my son all the time. Guild Wars has been fun for both of us although there are other games that we bond better with such as StarCraft or HALO.

No offense Gaile but GW does not appeal to 10 year olds like my son very well... Not enough explosions I guess. Maybe when he has more of an interest in the female species will he find GW more appealing.

Coridan · Jun 05, 2007, 01:32 AM // 01:32

Well me and my son often play but he is only 8 and he usually sits on my lap to play the game because he doesn't quite have the "command" of the game's controls but we have a good time doing it 2-3 times a week for half hour or so... Not sure if this is what you are looking for...if it is let me know and i would be happy to contact the above email.

SPIRIT OF THE SEA · Jun 05, 2007, 01:53 AM // 01:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by GloryFox

Maybe when he has more of an interest in the female species will he find GW more appealing.

umm....No idea how girls have to do with likeing GW but w/e.

Man I wish my dad played Guild Wars. Unfortunatlly he doesnt understand computers. I'm twelve btw and you guys dont think kids my age dont like GW cause we dont get the "Command"? Meanie poo poo pants!

Can my brother count?

ChaoticCoyote · Jun 05, 2007, 02:10 AM // 02:10

I play Guild Wars with two of my daughters; does that make me somehow less of a father than if I had sons?

Honestly, this is the 21st century. I have no problem with honoring fathers and mothers on their own days -- but to eliminate father-daughter combinations from this activity is simply backward and rude.

I've entered, anyway.

Jamison0071 · Jun 05, 2007, 03:01 AM // 03:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPIRIT OF THE SEA

umm....No idea how girls have to do with likeing GW but w/e.

Never seen a female elementalist I presume

Mournblade · Jun 05, 2007, 03:45 AM // 03:45

I won't let my 10yr old son play GW. Between the language (even filtered), the scammers, and the outright jerks, it's not a world i'm comfortable letting my son engage in yet. He sure does want to play though...

bhavv · Jun 05, 2007, 03:57 AM // 03:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChaoticCoyote

I play Guild Wars with two of my daughters; does that make me somehow less of a father than if I had sons?

Honestly, this is the 21st century. I have no problem with honoring fathers and mothers on their own days -- but to eliminate father-daughter combinations from this activity is simply backward and rude.

I agree with this. Why should Father - Daughters that play the game together be excluded to the right to enter this? Please rethink this requirement gaile.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mournblade

I won't let my 10yr old son play GW. Between the language (even filtered), the scammers, and the outright jerks, it's not a world i'm comfortable letting my son engage in yet. He sure does want to play though...

I agree with your reasons for not letting your son play the game. Also notice that the age requirement on the box states 12+ (in the UK at least). I work in retail at a supermarket and we have to abide to selling age restricted products just as though they were cigarettes or booze. Although we cant be fined for selling games/DVD's to underage people, the principle of the rule is the same as the finable/Criminal offense of selling alcohol or tobacco to minors.

I had a Kid once that was no older then 12 with his mum paying for his purchase of GTA on his own. I refused the sale and had to call security too because the mum was a total bitch.

If I see your PR using examples of parents playing the game with kids under the games stated age limit, I will not buy anymore GW products ever. Irresponsible Parenting and breaching of age restrictions are not acceptable for me.

Razorblade Monkey · Jun 05, 2007, 04:11 AM // 04:11

Sounds cool!

One little prob though... My son just turned 2, so the closest he's got to playing GW so far is hammering away at the keyboard while sitting on my lap =oP Although, in a furious random mouse clicking frenzy he had while I was afk once, resulted in the loss/misuse of a few items I rather not talk about through fear of crying... BRING ON THE UNDO BUTTON! =oP

But I do agree with a couple of previous posters, that my son wont be playing GW until he's at least 12 only because of the unfortunate mob of idiots ingame. Unless of course our PC's were side by side I could help him and monitor what's going on, but either way, looks like GW3 will be his start =o)

Good luck to those who enter, and Father-Daughter teams ftw! =o)

sindex · Jun 05, 2007, 04:34 AM // 04:34

The father(s) are actually being very protective over their young. Interesting for once I see some responsible parents who don’t say one thing, but do another. Like parents getting upset at the rating system, but yet they buy GTA for their 5 year olds.

Feminist Terrorist · Jun 05, 2007, 05:39 AM // 05:39

Fathers Day PR is nice, but what happened to Mother's Day? There's gotta be a mom out there who plays GW with her kids.

Do cats count? Mine likes to sit up and watch the battles. The more things moving on screen, the better she likes it.

arcanemacabre · Jun 05, 2007, 05:48 AM // 05:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Feminist Terrorist

Do cats count? Mine likes to sit up and watch the battles. The more things moving on screen, the better she likes it.

OMG Mine too! She especially loves to watch our (my wife and I) pets wander about when we're just standing there. She'll get real close and if the pet wanders near her, she'll paw at it. Absolutely hilarious, I love it!

GloryFox · Jun 05, 2007, 05:49 AM // 05:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mournblade
I won't let my 10yr old son play GW. Between the language (even filtered), the scammers, and the outright jerks, it's not a world i'm comfortable letting my son engage in yet. He sure does want to play though...

I understand where your coming from. I have some ground rules when I do play with my Son.

1. I'm online with him
2. All chat is turned off for him. However he can whisper and knows how to whisper to me.
3. Unless its my character he is not allowed to speak to anyone.
4. We role play as Jedi padowan to Jedi Knight. My son with his Dervish and me with My Dervish and its been a lot of fun so far. His only complaint is a lack of HALO explosions of course.

So far its never been an issue of someone speaking to him and he has yet to make it past Istan island. So I'm not that worried about him playing with me. Ive even set up a guild and guild town with all services for him and he has his own cape design. At least that part he thinks is very cool. It cost a bit of my personal gold but he is worth it.

Angelica · Jun 05, 2007, 06:08 AM // 06:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Feminist Terrorist

Fathers Day PR is nice, but what happened to Mother's Day? There's gotta be a mom out there who plays GW with her kids.

Yes!!
I'm a grandmother and I play often with my son and the oldest of my granddaughters; she's 12!

We only play together and my granddaughter only plays when her father is online with her.

/Angelica

Etta · Jun 05, 2007, 08:17 AM // 08:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razorblade Monkey

My son just turned 2, so the closest he's got to playing GW so far is hammering away at the keyboard

Don't worry about it, that sound like the way some people play GW anyway.

prism2525 · Jun 05, 2007, 08:23 AM // 08:23

My dad playing guild wars? man i'm 19 and my father is a total ignorant on computers plus he HATES gw (cos i spend too much time on it, he says) and all computer games in general.... (yes, he's a jerk)

maybe i will play it with my son/daughter (if i'll have any) in the future if GW will still be on (which i sure hope it will).

Gaile Gray · Jun 05, 2007, 08:59 AM // 08:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChaoticCoyote

I play Guild Wars with two of my daughters; does that make me somehow less of a father than if I had sons? Honestly, this is the 21st century. I have no problem with honoring fathers and mothers on their own days -- but to eliminate father-daughter combinations from this activity is simply backward and rude. I've entered, anyway.

CC, no, it makes you all the more special. But I'm female and I love the game, so I can't say I'm surprised that your daughters do. (I honestly believe that we have a very high percentage of female Guild Wars players, and I have a lot of theories about that, but that's another topic for another day.) Anyway, thanks for sending the info, and you can be sure it's been passed to PR!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mournblade

I won't let my 10yr old son play GW. Between the language (even filtered), the scammers, and the outright jerks, it's not a world i'm comfortable letting my son engage in yet. He sure does want to play though...

Play with him. Even if you have one computer, you can do it. Believe me, I'm a master at double-player gaming. I can whoop you-know-what in StarCraft playing as part of a team. And I mean on a single computer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by prism2525

maybe i will play it with my son/daughter (if i'll have any) in the future if GW will still be on (which i sure hope it will).

Do it. Seriously. It's a great chance to have fun together, to bond, and hey, if they play monk and let you die too often, you can dock their allowance.

Hengis · Jun 05, 2007, 10:17 AM // 10:17

I've been playing Guild Wars since just after the retail release (very nearly 2 years) and my son for a little less than that.

I'm 43 and he is 13.

I too was initially nervous about letting him loose in an online game, but after I had had the game for a month and he had sat and watched me play, I relented and bought him his own copy.

We now both have all three games, including the collector's editions of Factions and Nightfall and can't wait for GWEN!

Although we are in the same Guild, we dont play together that often. More often we will do our own thing and then talk about it afterwards. We played together more often after the release of each chapter, helping each other with missions and builds etc - but now he prefers PVP and I prefer PVE.

The conversations at the dinner table often turn to Guild Wars, with us discussing things such as the latest flavour of the month build, crazy things we have seen, items we have found, particularly annoying Bosses or missions, noobs we have seen <G>. Last week we were discussing potential names for the Brand the Boss contest, much to the disgust of the two ladies of the house (my wife and 17 year old daughter).

Although I hate to admit this, my son is probably a slightly better PVPer than I am, but I am a more patient PVEer - I collect titles, he enjoys rolling new chararacters. (Although the occasion he rolled a new char just after the release of Factions and forgot that his then brand new Kuunavang mini-pet was in his inventory caused quite a few tears!).

He can also multi-task a hell of a lot better than I can! Yes, I can play Guild Wars very well, but I can't play at the same time as watching a DVD, playing on a Nintendo DS, AND chatting in Guild Chat all at the same time :-)

I'll have a chat with him later and see if he fancies volunteering for this.