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Monday, January 13, 2014

Literally What Kids Are Like Now

By LUDWIG VON KOOPA - Kids will be kids, I get it. But back in my day...

As you might remember, I go to Jewish prayer services at the local Chabad centre. This time, some kid I've never seen before was also there. (The average age of men there is probably above 40, so this is noticeable.) So after the prayers ended, he went up to me and asked if I played videogames. There was nothing I was doing or wearing that'd indicate that I did, but I said "hello" and "yes" anyway.


Maybe something about this look screams "videogame player"? Also, the top of Cranky's head makes for a perfect brown Yarmulke.

So he asked what consoles I own. I said "3DS and Wii U." He's all like, "No PlayStation or Xbox?"

Disclaimer: I have (had) access to a PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360. ...And a Wii and GameCube.

So then he asks me if I played "CoD". Since that's still on Nintendo systems. As in, he actually said "Cod" and not "Call of Duty". Do League of Legends players refer to it a "LoL" in real life? Anyway, I said "no." The kid was astounded. "What do you play then?" he asked, as if the entirety of gaming is nothing but Call of Duty. "Do you play Mario?"

"Yeah," I said. "I play a lot of Pokémon."

And now he thinks I'm trolling him or something. "Pokémon?!" He repeats. "I played that when I was FIVE! Why would you like Pokémon? It's for TWO-year olds!"

I noted how he played it when he was five yet it's for two-year olds, and then thought about how I've been playing Pokémon since before he was born. (My assumption is that he just got a Bar Mitzvah and therefore just turned 13.) "It's a very mechanically deep RPG, and a lot of the franchise's fan base is actually my age."

"A what?" He asked. "An RPG." I said. "What's that?" He questioned. I wondered if he thought I was saying 'rocket-propelled grenade'. (Do they have those in Call of Duty?)

"Role-playing game." I answered. He didn't know what that was. "Well, what else do you play? Not just Pokémon, right?!"

So I started listing stuff. "The Legend of Zelda, Rayman, Ace Attorney, Donkey Kong..." Yeah I kind of forgot to say Super Smash Bros. before he walked off. He didn't like my gaming tastes, that was clear. I didn't want to get into an argument with him on Shabbat morning, but I simply said...

"Remember, you told me your taste was Call of Duty." I said.

"So what?"

"...Well..." And I left it there.

I know, I know, he's only 13. I shouldn't question his game tastes. He's the by-product of today's generation of Western gamers who are growing up to be dudebros. This is exactly why the philosophical concept behind my What's OUR Goodnight Moon? article is so important. We need to raise the new generation of gamers right. They should at least know what an RPG is! Videogames are so much more than FPSs.

Ludwig plays a variety of genres, but no first-person shooters. See his YouTube channel for a representative sample of what kind of games he plays at PrinceOfKoopas! It's also his NNID.


Ludwig discovered the evils of fidget spinners from the same place, but different kids.

4 comments :

  1. It's these kinds of people that make me want to raise my siblings with Nintendo consoles.

    I was once like that poor kid: an Xbox fanboy at heart, enjoying first-person shooters and beat-em-ups.
    Here I am, though, with Splatoon and Super Smash Bros., however. Yet, I'm not complaining! I'm much happier with free online-play than spending $60 a year!

    (Although, that will change in 2018's time...)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ...yeaaah that free online play is gonna go bye-bye.

      Well, there's the 3DS. For now.

      I guess that'll be Monday's article.


      Gotta get the kids early or they'll keep getting worse and worse.

      Delete
  2. Do you think kids are still like this today? It really does seem like it's Nintendo vs Everything else sometimes. Yes the Xbox and PlayStation people will always go at it, but it seems like they unite against Nintendo since Nintendo is "for kids". I don't ever think this sentiment will die out, but it's nice to see that more of the gaming public is finally seeing through that. Although that could be because gaming is more popular than ever.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've been in less contact with kids these days; the ones I encounter are in virtual spaces where they're Nintendo fans to begin with so they don't have this attitude like the kids in the article.

      Delete

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