A few weeks ago, Activision, the video game powerhouse, invited us to their annual Family Game Summit. Held at the Metropolitan Pavilion, this year’s theme focused on connecting through video games.
Sure, family time should transcend screen time, but Activision presented a solid case on how and why video games often connect family, regardless of age or interest. This year’s celeb guest host was Korie Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame. She talked briefly about how their family connects, and her thoughts on the business, among other things.
As usual, I found the stats to be the most interesting part of the event. I learned a few key takeaways, including:
- Fun means different things for everyone
- Free doesn’t always mean free
- Actively manage your online parental controls
- Your kids’ friends lists are not always friends
- Check your kids’ profiles for publicly facing information
And, of course a Family Game Summit wouldn’t be a summit without a showcase of the latest new games. Just in time for the holidays, Activision spotlighted just a few titles that are all about family fun. The titles featured at the event were:
Angry Birds Star Wars, Wipeout Create and Crash, Transformers Ultimate Battle Edition and Ultimate Autobots Edition, Skylanders Swapforce, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Moshi Monsters Katsuma Unleashed and SpongeBob Square Pants Plankton’s Robotic Revenge
Our most favorite of the lineup is, of course, Skylanders Swapforce. As diehard Skylanders fans, this franchise continues to keep the family gaming going. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Angry Birds are also fun games that require patience and strategy. I’ll post separate reviews for the aforementioned, so check it out soon.
As with previous Activision Family Game Summits, we were able to bring kids. My boys had a blast in the kid zone playing with new friends, coloring and going crazy. A definite highlight though, was schmoozing with TMNT and Sponge Bob! I mean!
Once again, Activision outdid themselves with a lovely and informative event promoting co-playing and family bonding over video games. Of course, as with everything, moderation is key, so don’t go playing video games all day and night.
Thanks to Activion and the other sponsors, we were sent home with a very generous gift bag with samples and other branded material. I love that Amazon also had a presence there, and I learned all about Amazon Prime and got to know their latest Kindle a little better.
All in all, it was yet another lovely event, where I learned interesting information about family time and video games!
Full disclosure: Activision provided us with a gift bag As always, all opinions are my own.
