Video Game Room in the Future for Leach Family?

For those of you who know me (which I would assume is all one of you), you’re probably gonna check this blog a couple of times to make sure this is really me writing. Yes, it’s me...no one has captured my account. But lemme just ask you one thing...wouldn’t it be cool to have a room just for video games in my new house?

I know, I generally don’t like the idea of video games. As a mom, I feel that they can be distracting at best, eating away the minds of youngsters and teaching bad habits--you know, like killing people. As a sister, (can I say this?) I have seen excessive video gaming play some serious parts in wrecking some marriages of those girls I love the most. As a family, we have shied away from purchasing anything trendy in this area. I guess we thought that if the games they play aren't the thing right now, that they won't spend as much time on them, and will concentrate on more boyish activities like playing outside. You know, things that require activity and sweat.

But it's been a bit of a downward spiral We bought a vintage atari once for our kids and they thought they were uptown! Next, someone gave them a Nintendo 63, I think it was. (See, I’m so dumb about them, I don’t even know what it was for sure.) There was like one game we allowed them to play on it. The kids, in an attempt to connect with society and ‘be like other kids’ have bought themselves what poor imitations they could afford--various plug-in controller/video games of such things as Fantastic Four and Thomas the Tank Engine. Oh, yeah and there was a golf game that someone gave them. They bought some old Playstation or something at a garage sale recently and now they fascinate their friends with games no one knew existed on a playstation nobody else has. Last year, we finally broke down and bought them a Wii. And it was even a new one. I justified this venture in to current trends by noting that these games were "athletic." Therefor, if I catch them sitting down playing tennis, the game is over. Overkill, I know. But I just have had a little bit of an aversion to video games.

Until today.

Beatles Rock Band. That’s all I’m gonna say.

I know. Don’t hit me. I know you already knew all about it...but well, I had just ignored that piece of American culture. But I played “Hard Day’s Night” on the drums tonight at Best Buy. And now I think we ought to have a whole room devoted to such endeavors as “I Wanna Hold Your Hand." Don't you agree?

Okay, wait... I can justify this. We have been thinking about homeschooling right? And musical instruction is important right? So I said to my kids, “What do ya’ll think if we just do our homeschooling on the Wii?” They were in full agreement, so there you go. Of course my husband was a little skeptical that we could produce an academically balanced curriculum just of Wii material. Okay...if we have to we will add Xbox.

But seriously, the kids were telling me all sorts of neat stuff. Like, did you know they have a Gardening Mama game? Or a Zookeeper game? Sure and there are things to learn Geography and Math and everything you need to know. So I’m all for it. Whattayathink?

So I was looking online for design ideas. Why are there no video game room design ideas? (This question is my lazy way of prompting others to look for them for me, since googling is almost as hard as scrolling through blog entries.) I hope it works. I would love to know what you think would be important in such a room. What games, What furniture? What decor? Fridge? Preferred flooring? Surround sound? Stations for different games at different times by different people and oh! I'm serious here, people. I want feedback. Do I need a poll? I can add one. As long as it has Rock Band 2 on it somewhere.

And let me reiterate, just so you don't think I'm doing this for selfish reasons--the kids said the whole thing sounds good to them if I promise not to hog it. Heck, we’ll get two of ‘em if we need to. Wouldn't want to deprive the kids.