A while back, in the long long ago when we could still talk to humans in person, I was chatting with the mom of one of my son’s friends, and she remarked that she doesn’t let her son play video games because of everything she’s read about predatory behavior in online games. I wanted to argue with her, but I choked on my own words because she wasn’t really wrong. Most online games aren’t super safe for kids, both because of the other players and because of the companies trying to breed future gamblers. Parents do have to be careful.
And I have been with my own kids. Usually, I let them muck around in Trove and Guild Wars 2 (with as much chat disabled and modded out as possible). I’ve talked before about how Adventure Academy has been a huge help for all of us while we’re under lockdown (and likely to be so for weeks or months to come). Most recently, I installed AdventureQuest 3D, Villagers & Heroes, and Star Stable for both kids to let them roam around. None of them is a substitute for school or recess, and yeah, you’ve still got to keep an eye on them, but it’s given them some joy in stressful, confusing times.
If you have or had kids or grandkids or even younger siblings, what MMOs do you or would you let them play?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
