What happens when you actually pull the plug on your kids' gaming privileges? This week, Jeff shares the surprising results of a digital detox, and Trevor braces for a similar battle with his youngest. We dive into why modern "endless" games like Roblox and Fortnite make it harder for kids to disconnect compared to the narrative games we grew up with.

Plus, we tackle the growing controversy around NBA 2K25. 2K Games is shutting down servers, which is permanently disabling the single-player MyCareer mode—meaning a chunk of the game you paid for is disappearing forever. We rant about the ruthless monetization of modern sports titles and why the industry needs to change. Finally, we debate the pros and cons of migrating the console out of the dark gaming dungeon and into the bright, social space of the family living room.

In this episode:

• The unexpected social benefits of taking away the kids' digital playground.

• Why live-service games make setting boundaries harder.

• NBA 2K25 server shutdowns killing single-player progress.

• Gaming in the living room vs. the home office dungeon.

• Shoutout to the indie hockey game, Tape to Tape.

Have you recalibrated your gaming setup or dealt with the sports game treadmill? Let us know at newdadgaming.com. Remember, just because you became a dad does not mean it's game over!

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Good old-fashioned discipline, gaming dads. Two weeks into grade 8, Jeff checked Google Classroom against his 13-year-old's version of events and the two didn't match: homework not done, projects not done, a story and a half about where it all was. The kid had been "doing homework" on the laptop with a little Roblox sprinkled in, a side quest that was really the main quest, then asked the teacher for an extension because he'd been sick (a week earlier). So the computer is gone for gaming, the laptop lives in the family room for schoolwork only, no phone, and YouTube is on the chopping block too. Trevor's take from the other side of the house: taking the console away is a punishment against yourself. Those two quiet hours were when the deck boards got replaced and supper got cooked. You hold the line anyway, because it's by far the most effective punishment there is. His own precedent: when his oldest flubbed a test he had every ability to pass, all games went away for three weeks until the next test came back with the mark expected. "You got an extra day of games. It cost you three weeks." Now the reminder does the work on its own.

Then the complication. Trevor's house is trying weekday gaming after years of weekends-only, with a deal laid out flat: a project due Friday or a test on Tuesday that goes badly and the newfound freedom disappears ("We lose it, Papa." "That's Sir Papa to you."). But five or six buddies are logged on after school (Fortnite in Trevor's house, Roblox and Minecraft in Jeff's), and that isn't pew-pew game time anymore. It's where the inside jokes happen, so taking them away isn't the same as taking away a game. The dads compare notes on screen time when all the friends are online, Jeff's 16-year-old aging out of the online hangout and into the mall ("we don't see him until suppertime"), his 13-year-old still deep in it, Trevor's hypothesis that the online hangout is a 10-to-12 thing and real life wins once they get some freedom, two kids who will be polar opposites, and the same lesson applied to buying loot: you saved for months and now your character has a red suit instead of blue.

Finally, the state of VR for gaming dads. Trevor still loves his Quest 3 (Star Wars: Squadrons, movies on a 100-foot screen) but worries whether the medium survives. Jeff's kids are in VR with Roblox, he pops into Skyrim VR now and then, and he's wondering if dads missed the sweet window when headsets were $300. The price climb says yes: PSVR was $400, PSVR2 was $600 to $800, the new Steam Frame is $1,200 to $1,400 on top of a beefy PC, and the new Quest is a $1,200 media device you should probably skip for the Quest 4. VR studios are closing and the storefronts are full of Gorilla Tag clones. The bright spot is the mod community: Titanfall 2 as a full VR game with your hands on the mech controls, plus Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, Alien: Isolation, Valheim and Subnautica, all playable in VR on a Quest 3 (still the sweet spot at $500 or less) and a capable PC. Jeff is waiting for the PSVR2 to hit $400. Trevor's last call for anyone who wants the calm side of VR: Puzzling Places, 3D jigsaw puzzles in pass-through, hundreds of them, often on sale for about nine bucks. Finish three puzzles before you're allowed back into Roblox. Send strength and well wishes to Jeff's household.

Subscribe to the Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-dad-gaming/id1107330772

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/434cj9ksKBnX6aY2aBZ6Uw

Others on Our Website: https://newdadgaming.com/