Tanking a game when playing against your son/daughter, nephew or niece

[Kodos]

Do you go easy on them when you play videogames? My theory is that there is no mercy. I will beat them repeatedly and mercilessly now, because I know the day will come when my reflexes will be no match for theirs. At which point, like my Grandpa and my Father before me, I will simply stop playing them. :)

[Kodos]

Oh, and this isn't a parody thread. The playing against your spouse thread made me think of my nephew, who I have never let beat me in any video game. He can't compete in skill games yet, but button mashers like War of the Monsters he has legitimately beaten me at. In fact, he's better than me. But he can't beat me at games that require actual skill, like football or any sport game.

[Eaglesfan27]

While I let my wife win (after all keeping her happy, keeps me very happy) I never let anyone else win, and that includes any younger relatives. Like you said, I figure one day they will figure out how to beat me. :)

[Warhammer]

I will let my son beat me in Super Melee from Starcon 2. In boardgames, he has actually beat me in Carcassonne, but I don't think he really realized what he was doing, because he has not played that well since.

[Wolfpack]

I will let my son beat me in Super Melee from Starcon 2. In boardgames, he has actually beat me in Carcassonne, but I don't think he really realized what he was doing, because he has not played that well since.

The "Buster Douglas Syndrome" in effect?

[Warhammer]

He's only 4, so I don't expect him to have strategy down. Now if he was 6, then yes, it'd be in full force.

[duckman]

I go all out when playing my boy at anything on the PS2. And if I'm beating him, I talk smack all the way to the end. :D

[Cringer]

I kick my daughters ass a few times, then let her win one. This goes for anything, board games, pillow fighting, whatever.

[MIJB#19]

Occasionally I let an eight-legged alien win, but that's basically all the let-winning I do and I plan on never doing it again. ;)


But seriously, in the debate of happier-after-win vs. mentally-stronger-after-loss, letting kids lose in things they haven't mastered yet isn't bad. But you have to make sure that they see that from playing the same game they learn and make progress.

[Raiders Army]

I don't let them win. I want them to stay inside and not play any sports in order to get better at video games and become the nerd I am today.

[Marc Vaughan]

Once upon a time I tend to let my kids win 'some' games against me - but these days if I can get a win I take it, my elder two kick my butt on most arcade games now and they're starting to get the hang of strategy games (my daughter completed Pheonix Wright last month and only needed help with the last puzzle and Jake is getting into "Battle for Wesnoth" which is amazing imho considering he's only 7).

[Greyroofoo]

I remember playing playing against my cousin in madden (he's 6). I think I had it on the easiest difficulty, and I always played a prevent defense to let him throw it short to the tight end every play.

Then again, on the easiest difficulty I don't think I could've stopped him with any kind of defense.

[Marc Vaughan]

PS> On the the most 'fun' activities I've done with my son was playing destroy all humans with him, he loved that and we 'tag teamed' our way through the game in around two weeks ... was really dissappointed when it finished.

We've played other games together since, but as our 'first' I think I'll always remember that one most fondly.

[AgustusM]

I let my 8 year old son beat me in Madden and other sports games just like I let him win when we shoot hoops in the front yard, that is up until the point that he starts to get cocky and then I remind him I am not THAT old and take him down a notch.

[SackAttack]

Do you go easy on them when you play videogames? My theory is that there is no mercy. I will beat them repeatedly and mercilessly now, because I know the day will come when my reflexes will be no match for theirs. At which point, like my Grandpa and my Father before me, I will simply stop playing them. :)

Neither I nor my brother have yet spawned (be grateful), but I do have young cousins who game.

One in particular, I'll never forget; he was visiting for a week, and I was handing him his ass on a regular basis at NBA Street. I left for a six hour shift at work, and when I returned, the lil' dude had learned how to drain three-pointers at will and block virtually any shot.

I should have known something was up when I opened the door, his head popped up over the back of the couch, and he eagerly asked me if I wanted to play Street.