Weekend Debate: What Makes A Perfect Kids’ Game?

Firstly, a quick apology for the lack of a Weekend Debate last week. I was out and about and couldn’t get a post organised in time. Anyway, normal service resumes today!

Did anyone read our Puppeteer interview yesterday? No? Well, please try and find the time! It was a really interesting chat and provides the inspiration for today’s topic. One of the things that Puppeteer‘s creator, Gavin Moore, is trying to achieve with his wonderfully dark platformer is create the kind of game that he would have enjoyed as a child. As he sees it, most publishers just aren’t making games for a younger audience anymore, and if they are, they’re rarely the sort of titles that kids actually want to play.

I tend to agree. Beyond the likes of, say, LittleBigPlanet, Ratchet & Clank or the LEGO games, there’s not too much out there right now that would have fired my imagination when I was a youngster, while also keeping the gore and blue language to a minimum.

So, today’s talking point:

What do you think makes a perfect game for kids?

Your thoughts? I’d especially like to hear from any parents out there! What kind of games do your kids respond to, and what games do they get bored of quickly?

I’m afraid I can’t quite match the bumper Borderlands 2 giveaway from a couple of weeks ago, but this week’s prize for the most thoughtful posts is rather special in its own right.

When I was in Tokyo last week I picked up five very cool Puppeteer T-shirts created for a Tokyo Games Show studio tour. There are less than 50 of these in existence so this is quite the collectors item. See front and back images below.

On top of that, our five winners will also get a super-stylish, super-rare Sony Japan Studio tote bag, also snapped below. I’m in a generous mood, so I’ll toss in five Borderlands 2 T-shirts left over from last week’s hand-out as well.

Good luck, and enjoy your weekend!