Casual gaming firm PopCap has released some more data from its massive, in fact seemingly never-ending, survey of casual gamers. I've had a look at the company's findings before, notably the discoveries that casual gaming can help families to bond, and also that they can de-stress mums. Now the purveyor of simple gaming treats like Chuzzle and Bejeweled, would like us to know that 72% of parents/grandparents don't allow their kids/grandkids to play hardcore video games. I'm not sure what the definition of 'hardcore' is here - maybe it's anything more taxing than the games on Cbeebies. Or, of course, Popcap.
Anyway, the more interesting bit concerns teenage gamers:
While nearly half of parents/grandparents (48%) to children aged 14+ say they do not allow their child/grandchild play hardcore games, 60% forbid girls from playing hardcore games - compared to just 37% forbidding boys.
Dr. Carl Arinoldo, a New York-based psychologist of 25 years, expert on parent-child relationships and author of Essentials of Smart Parenting says: "Parents tend to be somewhat more protective of their daughters in what they do than they are of their sons, allowing for a bit more independence and leeway for the boys. Despite this being somewhat outdated thinking, it is a perspective still shared by many parents.
I can understand parents being more worried about their daughters going out at night, but playing videogames? What on earth are they afraid of? And surely they should be more worried about their sons - whenever a violent crime is spuriously linked with gaming, it'll be a boy that's involved.
Imagine you're the parent of a teenage daughter - which games would you be most afraid of her playing?
