Gamertell

Ah, Thanksgiving - one of the greatest American holidays. Time to stuff oneself, watch football, catch up with family, and plot Black Friday strategies. For a lot of gamers, it’s also time to use the long weekend to catch up on some fall gaming - our busiest season of all, of course. But just because you’re surrounded by the warm and/or dysfunctional glow of family doesn’t mean you can’t have your games and family time too. Nowadays, it’s easy to mix the two, and if you play your cards right, it’s as natural as chocolate and peanut butter. Here are a few tips to keep your family gaming happy and “incident” free.

1. Use the TV only during football free hours

Obviously, this doesn’t apply to non-sporto families, but lets be practical here - you don’t want a Wii-mote jammed where the sun don’t shine if you try to cut in on Uncle Charlie’s game time.

2. Play family-friendly titles.

Stick to good family fare like Boom Blox and the like, so you can avoid grandma having a heart attack from watching a curb stomp in Gears 2. Also, if you keep to the decent games (say, Buzz or Lips on Xbox 360 or Super Mario Sluggers and Mario Kart Wii on Wii) you won’t want to poke your own eyes out. Everybody wins.

3. Have a little holiday cheer in you

Ok, so watching your non-gamer relative strike out three times in a row in Wii Sports may get maddening. Just have a little age-appropriate holiday beverage, and try to mellow out and have a laugh about it. Just don’t get too loose, because you don’t want to fall on your butt trying to bowl.

4. Be nice and try to encourage, rather than discourage, newbies.

All the Xbox Live trash talk needs to go bye-bye for today. Sure, there may be some fun at showing the newbs who’s boss, but really - you’re like an ambassador for the gaming world. Plus, these people are probably buying you holiday gifts. Don’t be a jerk.

I certainly hope this helps. After all, holidays are all about two things - family/friends and games. Just remember the basics and you’ll have a whole group of new converts at your fingertips for next year.

Read [Montreal Gazette]