The family that games together stays together
by Alex Ziebart 
Mar 14th 2008 at 11:00AM
We've covered the topic of family members gaming together before, but Sonya Smith, Gadgetress of the OCRegister, brings an interesting story about it to light, which she learned about on her tour through Blizzard's new HQ.Like our own Amanda Dean, J. Allen Brack, senior producer over at Blizzard Entertainment, plays World of Warcraft with one of his parents. Unlike Amanda Dean, his relationship is paternal. Brack relocated to California from Texas two and a half years ago to take his position at Blizzard, moving away from his family. Interested in the work his son had taken up, Brack's father began playing the game himself, having never been a gamer prior to that. Now they use the game as a way to spend quality time together, half a country apart.
It's very endearing to see so many playing with their family and using games like WoW to spend time together, whether they be half a country apart or even in the same room. I haven't had this experience myself, unfortunately. I can't get my family to even turn on their computer without me watching over their shoulder, because they're afraid it will devour their souls or something like that. About two years after my mother bought her computer, she finally let me teach her how to pay her bills online, so maybe in another decade or so she'll be willing to play computer games.
The other thing about this article that makes me smile is the fact that it reinforces that World of Warcraft is more than just a job to many of the people at Blizzard. There's been many examples of it over the years since WoW's launch, but it never gets old to see that they actually play, they actually care. The game is more than a job. I like that.
[ Thanks again, Sonya! ]
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Milktub Mar 14th 2008 11:23AM
That's cute!
I've played with my wife once. It was our way of avoiding having to deal with New Year's crowds at the bar. We bought champagne and each rolled humans for the night.
We don't play together any more because our work schedules only leave about an hour or so each day that we can be together in real life.
Fearless Mar 14th 2008 11:34AM
My family is half the world away, and there's not a day I don't wish they were WoW players. The game has helped me stay in touch with many friends who are scattered throughout North America. For every tale of how WoW "destroys" relationship, there are two stories of folks who either met through WoW, or use the game to maintain family and friendship ties.
Safety Dancer Mar 14th 2008 11:40AM
My guild master's family plays, and they are all in the guild (obviously). The guild master, his wife, and his two sons are all into progression raiding, its funny to see them bicker in guild chat, and in vent. LOL one time the son got grounded in the middle of a kara run, haha.
Silidar Mar 14th 2008 11:59AM
"You moved during flame wreath!! You're grounded!!"
Very funny...
karellen Mar 14th 2008 11:57AM
Our MT and MH are husband and wife, and their son runs with us sometimes. He's busy with high school but subs in when we're short a spot. Sometimes I imagine what it's like when they ask him to log on for the raid...
"Son, we need your leet DPS, log on and get to Kara."
"But dad, I have homework to do..."
"Don't talk back to me young man, if you don't log on RIGHT NOW and get your little behind to Kara you're going to be GROUNDED FOR A MONTH!"
Just kidding, they're really chill. Kind of a funny reversal to think about though.
In a guild I used to be in, we had a father-and-son team who played together a lot- the father was stationed in Eastern Europe by the US Army, and his family lived in DC. It was a great way for them to stay in touch and spend time together, which I thought was incredibly cool.
Theserene Mar 14th 2008 1:20PM
A friend of mine plays on another server in the same guild as his parents who are hardcore raiders. He lives at home with them at the moment (due to a messy divorce) and has frequent stories of how he wants to chill out after a long day at work but his parents tell him he HAS to log on and heal the MT through BT or his rent will go up :)
Fizzed Mar 14th 2008 12:05PM
I'd love it if my wife played...but she won't. Balancing WoW and family and career is a challenge. If you can get family on board, you get to eat cake!
Mmmmm...cake!
Theserene Mar 14th 2008 1:21PM
I play on the same server as my husband, sometimes he plays more than me because my job requires a very long commute to/from work and I don't feel up to it.
Epiny Mar 14th 2008 12:06PM
To be honest this is a main reason I play WoW. It is the only way I can talk to my friends from High School every day when we live so far away from each other... gaming is just a bonus. :)
nread Mar 14th 2008 12:14PM
List of people in my family other than myself who play WoW: My mother (I am 29 to put a perspective on ages), my Aunt, my younger sister, 2 of my cousins, my wife, my uncle and his wife. Out of those people listed, most have hardly ever played a video game, nevermind one as involving as WoW. My mother enjoys it so much, that it has actually helped her quit smoking. She hasn't smoked a cigarette in 5 months because she is able to play WoW to distract her from nic-fits. She's been smoking for almost 40 years. And no, none of us are the stereotypical 'hardcore gamer'. If the game can convince my wife, a huge anti-gamer, that there is enjoyment to be had gaming with your family, then I doubt there is anything it can't do. Well, except for keep the servers running smoothly. (I kid of course, I comment Blizzard's ability to manage such a huge overhead at all.)
Theserene Mar 14th 2008 1:22PM
WoW helped me quit smoking too! No more breaks during raids for a cig for me!
Naix Mar 14th 2008 12:29PM
I have friends all over the country that play wow with me at night.
thebvp Mar 14th 2008 1:23PM
My parents play WoW together. They both play hunters with pets named after their RL pets (dogs) and can be seen running around Ashenvale questing. Not bad for a couple of 56 year olds.
My mom also plays an ally hunter on my server and will sometimes call when she’s out questing. “Honey, I’m out in Arathi Basin, you should say hi!”
I then spam guild chat with “FIRST ONE TO GANK MY MOM IN ARATHI BASIN GETS 5G!”
An hour later, I get a call “This cow has been killing me for almost an hour now!”
Then the Tauren says “Duuuude, I totally ganked your mom last night!”
ajjp Mar 14th 2008 1:34PM
I feel very lucky that my wife and I have the same level of interest in the game. It's a fun thing to do together. Our kids are a little young yet to be on an MMO, but we do have the started on the original Diablo. So cute!
vanye111 Mar 14th 2008 1:36PM
My gf and her son play with me. Her father plays. Two of her brothers (and one sister in law) play. One of her newphews gets to play a few hours a week (he's 10).
Adi Mar 14th 2008 2:40PM
Well, WoW really did improve my relationship with my brother.
kunukia Mar 14th 2008 3:17PM
My son, my daughter, her husband, his brother and father all play. The other day all but one of us was in Gruul's together. Good times.
Our raid leader has a mom who has just started a toon, and one day she said into Vent, "Mom are you there?", and even though I KNEW her voice, and knew it was not one of my kids, I literally choked myself not answering.
Trammel Mar 14th 2008 4:25PM
After one year my wife finally made the plunge. Bought her a new desk, chair, gaming rig with a 20" wide screen. I find it much more enjoyable questing together then watching a television show. The interaction is much more then vegging on the couch. My daughter also plays from time to time. I am looking forward to questing with the wife and daughter.
A family that plays together stays together :P
saliira Mar 14th 2008 8:14PM
My parents both play (they're grandparents now), my brother and brother-in-law plays, several cousins, two uncles, an aunt... And many of us are on the same server in the same guild. With my busy life (I have a 5mo old son and I work full time), it's almost easier to log on and say hi than it is to call them.
Interestingly, my husband is the only one of the crew that doesn't play computer games.
Cindara Mar 19th 2008 8:01PM
My daughter suggested I try Wow when she was in college - I was hooked from the start! We then got headphones and a Vent server so that we could visit while we play. She has graduated and lives in a different city but we stay in touch almost every night by playing whenever we can. The game has not only given me something fun to do in the evenings (I'm a major insomniac with crazy work hours) but has helped my daughter and I stay in touch - it also gives us something else fun to talk about (we're both scientists so we're on common ground in two arenas :)
My daughter's on-game friends have been super nice to me and I have become the "guild mom" During the holidays I sent everyone a stack of cold milk and gingerbread cookies lol