At what age do you introduce a child to gaming?

[Retro Wolf]

My son is 2, he likes to watch me play Sonic Adventure on the ps3.
Today I handed the controller over just to see what would happen, obviously all he can do is spin round and jump.
Does anyone here recommend an age to get them into gaming? What games did you play?
The cool thing is that being an amateur games developer, I could make games for him, one day even with him. That would have been amazing if I could have done that with my Dad as a kid, I'm going to be the coolest Dad at school!

[Adeel]

I've been playing games since I was merely six (when I got my first computer i.e. Pentium II). 12 years have passed since then and I've played hundreds of games belonging to many genres (and still continue to do so). My first ever game (which I recall playing by myself i.e. not with the help of my father) was MS-DOS Based Platformer known as Dangerous Dave.

Imho, there's not any defined minimum age to get a child into gaming (since the children these days are lot smarter). But you'll have to keep an eye as to what type of games are they playing, obviously. Edutainment games are the best for young kids because they not only provide entertainment but education as well (which would help them in their studies too - though admittedly I didn't play any edutainment games but one and I was a bright student in the school ). Retro Platformers such as Dangerous Dave, Super Mario are quite excellent too.

And, yes, the idea of developing games with your children is quite exciting but you'll have to wait for sometime for that to happen. 

[Babar]

I had a computer in my home from before I can remember. Initially I used to sit behind my father and watch as he played adventure games, offering the occasional bit of bad advice. I used to muck about with edutainment titles (Playroom, some Mickey Mouse game, etc.), but I think Prince of Persia was one of the first REAL games I played on my own (well, I also played it with my friend, alternating between one controlling jump and one controlling movement), and that was around 4. It took me a while to complete the first level, and that game was utterly terrifying. After a bit I migrated to playing adventure games mostly on my own.

PS: Which Dangerous Dave, Adeel? The original diamond collecting looks-like-it-was-based-in-a-dungeon black background platformer, or the creepy one with the dude and his shotgun?

[Adeel]

PS: Which Dangerous Dave, Adeel? The original diamond collecting looks-like-it-was-based-in-a-dungeon black background platformer, or the creepy one with the dude and his shotgun?

The original one, of course.

[LRH]

I have particularly fond memories of playing Lemmings with my father on his Packard-Bell DOS pc.  I think I was about 4.  I don't know if there is a properly correct age to begin gaming.  I think it's something that slowly just starts to happen.

[miguel]

I've raised 2 kids and am now raising a third and have different outcomes that I'll try to explain.
There was no "rules" for the first 2, they had consoles and PC's available since they were around 8 years old. I thought I was doing the right thing, not allowing them to get "hooked" on gaming before they've reached a certain age and maturity.
Well, my second son (now 19) got seriously hooked with his PC (gaming and watching movies and tv shows, etc...) when he was around 15. That "addiction" made him quit football and later on indoor football (he was quite talented), he's 100Kg, still finishing high-school, doesn't have a girlfriend and guess what? He spends 80% of his active time gaming or doing stuff in front of a screen.
My first and only daughter (20 years-old) never did give a shit about gaming, she managed to finish high-school but university is out of her plans. I can safely say that exposure to gaming didn't take any effects on her life.
Now, my youngest kid (7 years-old last 26th) has all the exposure to gaming than the other ones but I and his mother try to keep him occupied with several activities:
Mon - Fri: 9am-5.30pm in school;
Tuesdays and Fridays plays football from 6.30pm to 7.30pm;
Wednesday he has church teachings for an hour after school;
Saturday he is a proud boy scout;
On Sundays he plays football before lunch;
He's a happy, motivated kid and when he finally has some time for gaming he's so tired that it never is "too much".

But, honestly, in my opinion kids have strong personalities from the very beginning and exposure to gaming from an early age might not be as bad as some people want to make it.

[LimpingFish]

I played my first video game when I was six...and it was all downhill from there.

[Cassiebsg]

My son's almost three (1 month to go), he wants to play, but can't figure how to use the mouse "slowly", thus can't click where he wants. We've been playing Escape the Barn (thanks BTW for that awesome game!) and he keeps saying "I want to play the cat game". Of course it's me that ends up doing the clicks...

Anyway, that made me think that he needs a "mouse" friendly game so he can learn to master a mouse (I never did managed to teach my mother, so maybe I'm just a bed teacher? )

If you have a tablet, try some easy touch games. I just learned that my kid now can start my tablet, unlock it, open the video program , get his cartoon playing, pause/play it, and turn the tablet off (suspend mode)... And this was all just this weekend, by watching me start it and pause it... However, the way he still thinks everything needs to be thrown, makes me reluctant to give my table to him.

[abstauber]

Did I mention that it is such a great relieve to learn that you all got kids? I thought I would need to cancel my account once my daughter arrives and you guys even manage to release games. Fun ones. Without an educational concept.
THANK YOU

Anyway I agree with Miguel: Kids are all different. If they have an affinity for gaming, they will play, no matter at which age they're introduced to the medium. Of course playing games can also be a way to escape real life and real life problems, but that's a different story

Oh - and I was introduced at 4 and it kind of alienated me, since no of my kindergarten (and elementary school) friends had a computer or even liked playing games. But I bet now they are all hooked up on Playstation 1234 and get drunk by now

[AGA]

I played my first video game when I was six...and it was all downhill from there.

I played Leisure Suit Larry when I was six.  Both my parents work in IT, what can I say...

I still remember getting new boxed versions of LSL6 and Freddy Pharkas for my birthday, which the release dates tell me must have been my eighth.  However, I found the boxes in my parents' bedroom, and started playing the game well before my birthday...

So yeah, video games will make your children naughty ones, who can't wait to get their hands on the age inappropriate games you let them play.

[Stupot]

We got the Atari 2600 before my younger sister was born, and I was six when she was born. We also had the Amstrad cpc464 before she was born. I always think I got introduced to games pretty young, but then I remember... my sister was born into a family that already had an Atari and an Amstrad. So she was playing it with us in no time.  She would watch as we played Dizzy and Rick Dangerous probably before she could even walk.  I think the first game she played herself was some learning game that we called 'The Froggy Game' because it had a frog in it.  But it wasn't long before she was playing proper games too.  She's not really a 'gamer' now but she still plays occasionally.

These days, my nephew and younger niece (aged 4) are already very well-versed in Nanna'a Kindle Fire.  And it's surprising how good kids can actually be at playing games.  My little niece has got crazy reflexes.  And as I mentioned in another thread, my older niece (now 8 I think) was playing Broken Sword with me this time last year, which may or may not have been irresponsible of me considering the amount of murder that actually happens in those games, but it was a great bonding time and she loved it.

[Gribbler]

Few days ago my 1,5-year-old daugher saw me slaughtering demons in the depths of hell in Diablo 3. She seemed eager to try too but I refused and changed the game to Pro Evolution Soccer. She lost interest quickly. I think I should buy something cheerfull, like Rayman maybe.

[dbuske]

Their was no such thing as a PC when I was a kid, even when I was in high school and University.
I think they had some games that could be played on TV's. The controllers lagged horribly and made the games very frustrating.
I am 57.
I wish I had had a PC in college.

[monkey424]

My ~ 1.5 yr old girl plays angry birds like a pro!

I thought I would need to cancel my account once my daughter arrives and you guys even manage to release games.

Yeah, I thought the same thing. But AGS seems compatible to a certain extent.

I've raised 2 kids and am now raising a third.....

Miguel, I knew you had the younger child, but not two others in their late teens! You obviously started early. Was there some scare campaign threatening testicle removal if you didn't procreate pronto?

[Adeel]

I should also mention that most of my relatives' children aren't keen on playing computer games. For some unknown reason, they love playing games on their parents' mobile phones.

I've raised 2 kids and am now raising a third.....

Miguel, I knew you had the younger child, but not two others in their late teens! You obviously started early. Was there some scare campaign threatening testicle removal if you didn't procreate pronto?

Yes, I'm quite surprised as well. So when are you and your son going to release a game together?

[miguel]

I've raised 2 kids and am now raising a third.....

Miguel, I knew you had the younger child, but not two others in their late teens! You obviously started early. Was there some scare campaign threatening testicle removal if you didn't procreate pronto?

Hehehehe! Well some Portuguese grow 3 testicles and... Not true!
The older ones are my wife's. We raise them together since they were 9 and 8.

Adeel, it's funny how he watches me creating games and there's one he particularly likes (about a kid magician in a castle with some cute graphics) to play with me and gives me clues on how the character would solve obstacles and puzzles. He's the boss, if he wants to I'll be a proud father introducing him into game making.

[Retro Wolf]

I think I must have been six when my Dad bought an Amiga 500.

I think my wife wants me to wait as long as possible, though this is a woman who owns a Sega Megadrive, so we'll see.
I just get excited about what I'll be able to do with my son when he's old enough to communicate and understand things more. Bonding and teaching and all that.

[nickherc]

I've played games since I remember. Started out with Duke Nukem 1, Prince of Persia, Prehistorik 2... So just let him play, maybe introduce him to shooters and violent games a bit later, when is old enough...

[mkennedy]

If they are old enough to read, then I would think they are old enough to play games. Though while they are young you may want to start them off with educational titles and make sure all games they play are age appropriate.

[ET3D]

These days touch control offers an easy way for even toddlers to interact meaningfully with a game, and there are many tablet games for 2 and 3 year olds.

Many 3 and 4 year olds can use a controller or mouse effectively (but not for games which require accuracy). My daughter liked the memory game that's part of Super Hero Squad Online when she was 4, and that's mouse controlled, but she mostly plays on my tablet. She enjoyed simple hidden object games for a period of time. At 5-6 she was introduced by her babysitter to Flappy Bird and Temple Run, and got quite good at them. I've also been playing a bit of Enchanted Cave with her over the past few days, which she enjoys. She also likes Wii and Kinect games, as does my 4 year old son.