The Gamer Parent's Strategy Guide

Money! Everybody's favorite stress-inducing discussion topic. Has never been the cheapest of pursuits, and it has only gotten more expensive. Whether it's the $70 price tag on PS5 and X-Box Series X games, or the crazy prices to be found in retro-gaming, being a gamer or a gamer parent can be a very costly proposition. How can you balance the desire to build up a library, or be able to get games for your kids, without costing yourself this month's car payment? What alternatives are there to GameStop and the big box stores for the gamer looking to pinch a penny? Is it just better to bite the digital bullet and forego physical gaming? Mike (aka MC Paperstacks) and Derrick (aka Fullmetal Murk) from Player 2 Has Entered The Podcast join me to discuss gaming on a budget! Plus, the debut of the new show-ending Big Question!Check out Player 2 Has Entered The Podcast's social media links and show links: Player 2 Has Entered the Pod | Linktree

What do you do when a scheduling snafu gets in the way of planned content? Go solo and wing it! Bit of a short episode this week, but it's a glimpse into what is coming for the next few months of season 2, on top of a request for viewer involvement to help shape this podcast.

Twitch. It has become as omnipresent in gaming as the games themselves. For kids, it's how they get gameplay strategies, see the latest games and hear new release news, and communicate with like-minded gamers. A lot of parents don't get why their kids want to watch other people play video games, and worry about what their kids might be exposed to on the platform. And lot of kids watch streamers like Ninja and Pokimane and think it's as simple as "turn on camera, play games, $$$$$". In this first episode back from hiatus, I spoke with career Twitch streamer CoolCatTerri to discuss the realities of Twitch. What kind of investment is someone looking at if they want to do this as a career? How much work is really involved? What about toxic fans, or fans who become dependent on you for their mental health? This was a very eye-opening discussion for me, and if you have a kid who is interested in becoming a Twitch streamer, you owe it to them and to yourself to get educated about it.Check out CoolCatTerri on Twitter: CoolcatTerri | Streamer🎮Podcaster🎙️Indie Dev💻 (@Coolcat_Terri) / TwitterCoolCatTerri's Twitch channel: coolcatterri - Twitch

Ethics and video game. It's a huge topic, because there are so many angles from which to approach it. That's why this episode is a primer of sorts, covering numerous topics, and I brought in an expert: Shlomo Sher, a professor who teaches a class in ethics and video game design, and co-host of the Ethics And Video Games Podcast. We discussed his class, why parents should be concerned about ethical game design, what responsibilities fall on the parent and what fall on other entities, and if it's fair to expect kids to have an opinion on ethical issues in the industry. Plus the Rapid Fire Five Questions!The Ethics And Video Games Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3lWxcCypcISFwljpJkzuZy

I recently the chance to speak with Dr. Fai Lam from Gaming The Mind, a UK-based mental health organization promoting positive mental health and how gaming can contribute to the mental health discussion. We discussed how the COVID pandemic affected younger gamers, how games can benefit mental health when done right, games have great examples of tackling mental health issues, and the negative stigmas and false narratives that are perpetuated about video games and mental health.

As the world comes to understand and accept that sexuality and gender identity isn't binary but actually a spectrum, parents and the gaming industry are having to face this as well. What does it mean to be trans? How can gaming give kids wrestling with their gender identity a way to understand or express themselves? What can parents do about it? And what about the gaming industry at large? I had a chance to sit down with author and trans man Eli Mendoza and discuss these issues.If you'd like to check out Eli's book, Theory of Reality, you can find it on Amazon here: https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B096497Y59&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_TV6XN6QVN2Q8A1TYHKCZ

What is it like to be a voice actor for video games? How do you get into the business? What should kids know about pursuing a career in voice work, and what should parents do to help them? I spoke with Brimstone, voice artist in Viking Vengeance, Forza Infernis, Wasteland Wars, and many more games, about the realities of voice acting. Plus, the debut of the 5 Closing Questions segment -- five light-hearted gamer questions to close out the show.

Sometimes, being a gamer parent seems like herding cats, or the "everything's fine" dog meme. Online predators, cyber-bullying, microtransactions, time management, kids asking for new games all the time, finding your own time to play that doesn't interfere with responsibilities or the lives of others ...But there are positives. Lots of positives. In this episode, I listed out 5 good things about being a gamer parent. These aren't life-changing, earth-shattering things, but just positive extras. For you non-gamer parents, maybe this'll change the way you see gaming just a little bit, maybe even get you interested in trying it yourself.

China made headlines recently by imposing time limits to online gaming on weekend days to one hour a day. Is this effective? Should you follow suit? Or is this treating symptoms and not root causes?

E-sports have become a global phenomenon, with championship leagues around the world and televised events in major sports networks. But online gaming is also problematic, with cyber-bullying and other toxic behaviors permeating in the fanbases of all games and platforms. Vanta Leagues was founded to change the discussion in both of those fields. I had the opportunity to discuss Vanta Leagues with co-founder Ed Lallier. We discussed how the league's curriculum focuses not only in improving gameplay, but community and teamwork, teaching life skills that could be used even when the game is turned off. It also looks to combat cyber-bullying right from the get-go. Vanta Leagues is a bold new venture, hoping to make a positive impact in e-sports. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jed-shaffer/support

Why is The Gamer Parent's Strategy Guide a thing? What is the goal, and how do you, the listener base, play into it? I declare my intentions, and ask for your help. We're on a mission together to educate parents everywhere and be the advocate for gaming everywhere. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jed-shaffer/support

This week, I have a wonderful just-two-dads-chilling conversation with RD Reynolds, author, the man behind Wrestlecrap, and co-host of The Joker's Mustache podcast. We discuss a wide range of topics: the insane inflation of classic consoles (especially for pinball), how and why classic games don't appeal to kids these days, and how kids today are missing out on the experience of arcade conversions. Of course, we talk parenting and how we don't have much overlap in the games we play with our kids. We cap it off discussing Rupert's Kids Arcade in Shelbyville, Indiana, a wonderful charity arcade that you should visit if you're in the area. Just a nice chat with a good friend and fellow dad. They don't all have to be serious. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jed-shaffer/support

Everybody has issues that provoke strong feelings and responses. Maybe you refuse to buy a product because of who endorses it, or refuse to cheer for a sports team because someone on their roster has a troublesome past. Or maybe you can separate the art and the artist. It's a tricky situation for adults to navigate. So, what should we expect from older kids when issues like racism, sexual harassment, representation, and crunch culture collide with video games? Is it reasonable to expect them to be up on industry news? Is it responsible to tell them about these issues, or are we poisoning the well? Inspired by the recent Activision-Blizzard news, I discuss this issue on this week's episode. And for another point of view on it, I brought in my two teenage sons, to find out how they consume video game news, and if social issues in gaming matter to them. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jed-shaffer/support

Yours truly guested on the Project Pixel Gaming podcast for super-sized collaboration episode! We spend a bunch of time shooting the breeze on favorite games, how the N64/PS1/Saturn generation is the most transformative generation (but also the worst to look back on), and a lot more. Our big topic is on the monetization of children through micro-transactions; how games are using micro-transactions to lure children into spending money, how some games have turned these cosmetic items into symbols of social status and harm children's mental health, and what parents can do best to stop this exploitation of their kids in their own houses. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jed-shaffer/support

The ascendance of video games to the most profitable entertainment medium on Earth has children all over the planet wanting to be the ones making them. But is it everything they think? Is it playing games all day? How many different facets of game design are there? I sat down with Geoffrey Golden, a narrative designer who has worked with Capcom, Ubisoft and many more, about how he got into the business. We dispel some the myths kids might have, and give parents advice on how to encourage and prepare their kids if they're serious about getting into game design. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jed-shaffer/support

2nd episode in a week! You're not crazy! COVID-19 changed a lot in this world, and one thing it really changed is the way we consume games, and and our relationship with them. As parts of the world start to come out of the darkness of COVID, we will have to reckon with how we gamed and how we allowed our children to play games, and what needs to change now. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jed-shaffer/support

It's a solo episode and a grab bag of topics, on a most unusual day! I apologize profusely for June's lack of content, likely over-promise for July, and then get to two topics: the recent controversy surrounding Scott Cawthon, creator of the Five Nights At Freddy's series, and how it gives parents an opportunity to discuss separating art from the artist (or even if you should). I also discuss the announcement of the "re-designed" Nintendo Switch, and how big of a letdown and ripoff this is. This may also be the start of Monday mini-sodes. Or it may not. We'll see. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jed-shaffer/support

After an unintended break, we're back! Sean Garmer of the Video Games 2 The Max podcast and reviews on 411mania's Games section sits down with me to have a discussion about the differences between raising a boy and a girl in gaming. What are the crucial differences? How has the industry changed for girls since the 80's, and how far does it have to go? We also go off on a few amusing tangents, because we're two guys talking video games. It happens in these informal discussions, you know. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jed-shaffer/support

Until 2018, video game addiction was not even recognized as a real medical condition. Elaine Uskoski discovered it years before, the hard way, when her son Jake almost derailed his college education and his health with a dangerous addiction to online gaming. Her fight to get him to see his problem and begin recovery is a story that should chill any parent, whether you're a gamer or not. She has chronicled this in her book, "Cyber Sober: A Caregiver's Guide to Video Gaming Addiction". I had the chance to interview Elaine about video game addiction, the challenges of getting the addict to quit, how the video game industry views this, and much more. We all know gamers. This is an episode anybody and everybody should hear, because addiction can happen to anybody. If you know someone who might need coaching through video game addiction, you can find Elaine Uskoski's website here: https://eyespyhealth.ca/  Her book can be found on her website and on Amazon. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jed-shaffer/support

The new Mortal Kombat movie has arrived! How does it stack up against the 1995 version? Is it more violent? Less cheesy? Just as poorly acted? Perhaps the most important question: is this movie okay to watch with your kids? --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jed-shaffer/support