Out of sorts

A bit out of sorts today, probably why this is a back blip. I'd tried to blip a screen shot of Rob's programme but couldn't for some reason. Not happy with the changes at blip and not happy with how the media is dealing with the OFT investigation in to the gaming industry. It portrays online gaming sites as rip-off merchants and that's unfair. Just as parents shouldn't let their children run amok in a shop, they should supervise and understand their children's behaviour online. Gaming can be an enriching experience but it can also become addictive.

I remember well the playground crazes of childhood and this has shifted online somewhat. But nobody said I shouldn't buy marbles or a hoola hoop. My boys recall crazes like Monsters-in-your-pocket and Pogs. I never let them buy either but some how they acquired one or two and then built up good collections through canny swapping. I haven't spent a cent in Badeggsonline and have played the game quite a bit. It's amazing such games are free to play. But the makers have to earn their crust somehow and paid-for extras is an important source of income.

I used to take my "spend" and exchange it for a plastic Airfix model that was built one day and broken the next. But I got a lot of joy from the building and playing with it until it broke. Now children sometimes are exchanging their spend for online "credits" and spending those in games. Responsible games makers will have alerts for spending that has gone OTT. Paypal does too. But some game makers have made it too easy to buy and that's not sensible. Ultimately it's parents who must stay ahead of the game. They have to know what their children are doing online. It was an issue that didn't exist for me. Rationing TV was the thing for us. The boys were never allowed TVs in in their bedrooms.

The problem now for the boys, is that many people will see those stories and they will shake their heads and tut in agreement, without ever exploring these games and how they work or taking any trouble to understand the revenue model. It's not the same as going in to a shop and buying a Monopoly game. The way we live, work and consume is changing fast. The OFT is largely older men in suits. I do hope it consults properly.