Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

This article comes from the official account of Wechat: ID:chuappgame, by Xiong Dongdong

This is a story about family, games and responsibilities.

On May 17, my younger brother of "Night Drive", I watched Xiao Hao play "Dance cute DX" in a game hall in Chongqing. Xiaohao, 7 years old and about 140 centimeters tall, has to stand on tiptoe to touch the button at the top of the machine. He wore no gloves, his palms rubbed red, but there was no pain in his expression. When the song ends, the word "Full Combo" pops up on the screen.

Dance Meng is the translation of Maimai, a music arcade game developed by Sega in Japan, where players score points by pressing a button or touching the screen to match the rhythm of the music.

Xiao Hao played the song "Full Combo" with purple difficulty, and in "Dance cute DX", the difficulty was green spectrum, yellow spectrum, red spectrum, purple spectrum and white spectrum respectively. This song has a moderate rhythm, as long as there is hand speed, it is not difficult to hit "Full Combo", but the score of "98%" is enough to show that the little boy in front of me is out of the rookie category.

There are two "Dance cute DX" game consoles, which can be played by two players at the same time. "Dance cute DX" can play four songs in one game, and when it was Xiao Hao's turn to choose again, he still chose "Night Dance". Xiaohao's jigsaw teammate is a college student-like player, he stands very solid, the strength is also a little bit big, hit the button to make a "clatter" sound. His level is slightly higher than that of Xiao Hao and he is not very interested in this song.

The player next to me told me that this little boy who is playing "cute" has come every day in recent weeks and has made rapid progress. He spends 70 to 80% of his time playing "night drive", and people in the circle call him "night drive" brother.

I was interested in this little boy who was short of height and struggled to play music games, so I went up to him and said, "Don't your hands hurt if you don't wear gloves?"

He didn't look at me, a little timid, bowed his head and answered, "it doesn't hurt," and then ran quickly behind me, where his father was sitting in the lounge chair not far away. His father handed him a bottle of water and told him loudly, "Don't run!"

His father's name is Lao Liu, a thin man with sparse stubble and smiling. When Xiao Hao got on the plane, he watched intently, played with his mobile phone for a while when he was tired, and looked up again with two short videos. The sound of the machine hall was unusually noisy, and with the whining of the fans beside the "dance cute", I vaguely heard Lao Liu teaching Xiao Hao how to play.

In the next month or so, I saw Xiao Hao many times. He made rapid progress, and some players would clap secretly after he finished a song and got a high score. Seeing that there are more familiar players around Xiaohao, Lao Liu will temporarily leave the lounge chair and walk around in the game hall.

I thought it was the regular story of "father takes his children to play games", but I have never seen Lao Liu get on the plane. He always looks from afar with a water bottle in his hand. Even if the machine is empty, Xiao Hao can't find a teammate who can share the machine together. The father won't get up and play with his son.

Lao Liu has come here many times, and I occasionally chat with him when I am waiting in line. He is a talkative man with a big voice and likes to speak in a tone of surprise, which leaves an impression on nearby players that he is "easy to deal with".

I think Lao Liu is quite familiar with many concepts in "Dance Meng," so I asked him if he wanted to go up and play a game with Xiao Hao. "sometimes there are few people, and it won't delay others even if you take two shots on the machine. Players are still happy to see passers-by try."

When he heard what I said, he was stupefied and shook his head again. "is that inappropriate?" With that, his eyes returned to Xiao Hao. I couldn't restrain my curiosity and asked again and again that Lao Liu shared his story with me.

In childhood, one autumn evening in the early 1990s, the weather was a little too cool. Lao Liu, who was still in the first grade, was stopped by several classmates on his way home and asked if they would like to go to the game hall together. He was a little uneasy and hesitant, and before deciding how to answer, he was pulled on the road by his classmates.

It was hot in the game hall and a faint smell of smoke could be smelled in the air, which made Lao Liu uncomfortable, but his attention was immediately attracted by two players playing fighting games. They are very skillful and cannot be separated from each other, and they are already crowded with a large group of people.

You can play the game happily for 5 cents for two game coins, but Lao Liu feels his pocket. He only has 2 yuan for breakfast a day, and he really can't squeeze out any money unless he doesn't eat breakfast.

There are always people sitting in front of the machine of the two-person fighting game. At that time, there was no saying that there was a queue, and everyone default to the most primitive competition mode in the ring-the winners can continue to play, the losers can only wait at the back, and the winners can only play on their own. After school is the time when there are the most people in the game hall, Lao Liu is afraid to try. He always stands by and cheers for the players in his seat.

But he won't watch it for long and come home late. Not only will the food get cold, but he will also be questioned by his mother. Lao Liu said that was when he became interested in video games.

When Xiao Hao arranges cards, Lao Liu will take out his mobile phone and watch the live broadcast and video of "Dota 2". This game is Lao Liu's youth, but compared with his deep enthusiasm for "Dota 2" in his youth and the pleasure of inviting his friends to gang up in Internet cafes, he now prefers to watch other people play games, just like cheering for master fighters in the game hall when he was a child. He has now transferred his love for games to Xiao Hao.

"when I first got married, I played the Dota 2 ranking mode, which was a time when even Chinese teams could win championships. Then my scores kept falling, and the more I played, the worse I played, and now I just watch the game." Lao Liu said in a low voice, a little lonely in his tone. He hadn't played a game in nearly 10 years. Lao Liu's wife-- later I called her Sister Zhang-- was not a gamer, and it was difficult to resonate with Lao Liu's feelings for the game. Firewood, rice and salt became the main theme of life.

"World of Warcraft" is also a memory of Lao Liu's youth. Around 2020, some old friends called Lao Liu Huikeng nostalgic clothes, and Lao Liu rarely thought of playing games. However, it takes time for nostalgic clothes to open up wasteland, and he has to go to the guild to "go to work" every day, so he has to ask Sister Zhang's opinion.

Sister Zhang didn't know World of Warcraft, nor did she know what nostalgic clothes were. She just heard that it would take a lot of time, so she rejected Lao Liu. Lao Liu works on a construction site and does not have much rest time at home every day. If all the rest time is left to games, Sister Zhang will definitely not like it. Her concept is very simple: "playing games is for entertainment, fun, if it affects life, it is harmful."

"it has improved again." When he saw Xiaohao running towards him, there was a light in the eyes of the skinny middle-aged man. Lao Liu talked with Xiaohao about the places that had not been handled well in the course of the game, and he would evaluate the difficulty of the song and constantly encourage his son. His tone reveals excitement. Lao Liu, as a player, may be gone, but a father can still be proud of his son.

"is that inappropriate?" Lao Liu's words always reverberated in my mind, and he refused politely. Putting 3 coins into the game machine and playing a game with his son Xiaohao can also enhance the relationship between father and son, which is actually a very simple thing. But a married man always feels that he is too old to play games after taking up the responsibility of his family. However, although unable to get up from the lounge chair, the past game experience can also give Lao Liu some "capital" to guide Xiaohao to have a beautiful game childhood.

Young players June 17, Chongqing, the sky is overcast, Xiaohao in the "dance cute DX" before the concentration is not reduced, the air is slightly sticky, he is wheezing. Seeing that he worked so hard, I wanted to invite him to play a game. He waved excitedly to Sister Zhang with the game coin I gave him. Zhang asked him to say "Thank you" to me.

While Xiaohao was playing songs, Sister Zhang leaned on the doll-grabbing machine not far behind the machine, carefully observing the people around her. Even passers-by could feel that she could not fit into the game hall.

I have seen Sister Zhang less than five times in the past month or two. At the end of May, it was the first time I saw Sister Zhang bring Xiao Hao. She seemed bored and paced back and forth in the game hall. When Xiao Hao got off the plane, she pulled him out to get some air. Mother and son lay on the glass guardrail on the second floor of the mall, quietly watching the basketball activities held in the rotunda downstairs. although there was wave after wave of cheers, Xiaohao showed little interest and looked back at the door of the game hall from time to time, thinking about the progress of the queue.

If there are more people, players put their personal belongings under the game console instead of waiting in line. Zhang said that Xiao Hao came into contact with "dance cute DX" by accident. Before the end of the epidemic last year, the family of three went to Jinsha Tian Street in Shapingba. Xiaohao fell in love with it after trying a set of "Dance cute DX" in the arcade there. Later, Xiaohao wanted to continue to play, but there was no game hall near his home, and because of the inconvenience of the epidemic, his parents could not take him to Shapingba 30 kilometers away.

Sister Zhang seems to feel that her son is a stranger. "We have also taken him to other music games, such as' Dance Cube 'and' Taigu Talent', but he is not satisfied." In the past, Xiaohao was hot for 3 minutes no matter what she came into contact with, and it was the first time she saw her son so obsessed with one thing.

Because of the hospital's shift system, Sister Zhang, as a pharmacist, often needs to work the night shift on weekends. During the day, because her height is too short, it is not easy for Xiao Hao to hit the button at the top of the machine. During the play, he kept tiptoeing and jumped a little when he was excited. This is not a good habit-if you want to be a proficient hand, you must first stand firm. I am also more worried that Xiao Hao sprained his ankle, so that not only can not come to the game hall, life will also be affected.

Lao Liu and I both suggested that he only play in the inner circle, but he refused like a real expert: "I am used to playing in the outer circle. I can't find a sense of rhythm in the inner circle. The brothers and sisters in this game hall play in the outer circle."

Xiao Hao once asked Lao Liu to bring the small wooden stool at home and let him play with his feet. He felt that because of his height, the efficiency of progress was too slow, and he didn't have a good time on tiptoe.

Father did not agree: "afraid he fell, it is difficult to explain to his mother, he is the age of physical growth, maybe on tiptoe, but also can grow taller." Although Xiaohao looks active, he is too young and his physical strength is always limited. He will shout tiptoe for a long time, and he will say "want to go home" to Lao Liu if he has more times.

Lao Liu hopes to hear Xiaohao say this. Xiao Hao wants to play games, he will support it, but he always feels boring after sitting for a long time.

Game instructor in late June, I found that Xiaohao's level is even further, several songs of level 13 can play more than "98%", so I suggested him to try the Rank challenge. Xiao Hao said he was not good enough, but he was interested in some of the most difficult songs in the game. In "Dance cute", these extremely difficult songs are called "big songs".

When Xiao Hao and I joined the machine, it was also "Full Combo". When Xiao Hao played the purple music difficulty of level 12 and a half, he would adjust the selection mode to "grade" several times, and then draw to the right to "14 +" and "15". These two levels are in the category of big songs. He stared at it for a long time, then switched back to "12" and "13" and chose his favorite tracks. Xiao Hao seemed to have inherited a little bit of Lao Liu's character and was afraid to try, so he asked his father whether his current level was suitable for playing these "big songs".

"you should play the game step by step. You can't play the music at level 12 and level 13 perfectly. If you can't even hit'99%', you have to play the music at level 14 and level 15. What if you get frustrated?" Lao Liu is a little stubborn, but he is not worried about anything else. He is afraid that the 7-year-old Xiao Hao will be hit, give up halfway and throw away his only hobby.

"just like 'Dota 2', the players in the low division play the high division, and they only have a dead end, and they don't know how to die, and the enthusiasm of the game will be eroded." According to Lao Liu's experience, the leapfrog challenge is not a good behavior.

Xiao Hao pursed his lips and wanted to say something, but he couldn't say it.

Xiao Hao cried at home for a long time that day. Sister Zhang couldn't see it, so she told Lao Liu. In Sister Zhang's view, Xiaohao can let him play if he wants to play. Even if Lao Liu is an old player, it is not appropriate to apply his past game experience to today's children.

When I saw Xiao Hao again the next week, he was playing a "big song" called "body Guard". Because it was so difficult, he couldn't keep up with the rhythm of the notes, and he didn't even have an "80%" score when he settled the account. "Dance cute" score reached "80%" to be considered customs clearance, Xiaohao's challenge failed.

Lao Liu is still sitting in the lounge chair, "Big Song" has been beyond his understanding, he can not give Xiaohao any hints and suggestions, can only look at the screen one after another "Miss", watching Xiaohao tiptoed lost in the sea of phonetic circles. After the end of the game, Xiaohao was a little silent, as if thinking about something, and began a new round of queuing.

Later, I asked Xiao Hao how he felt after playing the Big Song.

"fun!" Without being discouraged, he ran to Lao Liu and lay down on his shoulder. Father and son watched the video of "Dota 2" together.

Zhang, a family member who has never been exposed to video games, instinctively opposes Xiao Hao going to the arcade to play "dancing cute." out of respect for her children, Zhang says that playing is OK, but it does not affect her grades. When it comes to grades, her expression becomes very serious, and the pressure of this seriousness is even greater than her boredom with the arcade. It is really difficult for me to connect Sister Zhang, who talks softly about daily topics, with Sister Zhang, who is talking about Xiaohao's achievements.

Lao Liu recalled that once Sister Zhang noticed that Xiao Hao's grades dropped because she wanted to "dance cute" in class. She not only ordered Xiao Hao not to play "cute dancing", but also confiscated his iPad. Lao Liu said that he had rarely seen Sister Zhang so out of control.

While watching dance cute music teaching, while patting Xiao Hao on the table as a game media editor, I certainly know "anti-addiction", but from the player's point of view, I still feel a little pitiful: "Dance cute" is Xiaohao's only extracurricular hobby, even deprived of this hobby, isn't it cruel? I told Lao Liu what I thought, and Lao Liu replied that he felt the same way.

"aren't you worried about his declining grades?"

"they are all people who have been there. Let nature take its course." With that, Lao Liu couldn't help laughing, and I laughed with him. "even if his grades drop, it's impossible not to let him play, and at most reduce some of his time playing games." As a middle-aged man with a family, it is no exaggeration to say that games are extravagant hopes for Lao Liu. In the face of his children, he wants Xiao Hao to enjoy more games.

Lao Liu told me another thing: one day, when he heard that there were Switch and "fitness ring adventures" at his friend's house, he wanted to borrow it to play with Xiao Hao, but Sister Zhang firmly opposed it.

I have heard both Sister Zhang and Lao Liu talk about this, but the content is completely different. Sister Zhang is still very serious. she thinks it is inappropriate for a person to spend too much time playing games. after all, going to the arcade to play audio games is outside, and the degree of "bringing the game home" is different-even if she knows that "fitness ring adventure" can really exercise. Lao Liu told me that Sister Zhang is ostensibly restricting Xiao Hao, but in fact she is restricting him. She already has little time to rest, and she wants him to spend his rest time on his family.

As an outsider, I can't tell who's right. Living under the same roof, Lao Liu and Sister Zhang reached a compromise with each other, and Xiao Hao, who drank a lot of water before "dancing cute", became the freest person.

The younger brother of 'night drive' has evolved. He has been playing eggplant all the time. Maybe we should call him 'eggplant' brother in the future? Audio games players who have played with Xiaohao said in the communication group.

"what? I don't know how to play eggplant, and I don't dare to share a machine with him anymore."

Xiaohao has been infatuated with the difficult "big song" since he tried the "torso tomb keeper". When the purple score could not play, he began to practice from the red spectrum. "eggplant" is the nickname of the song "QZKago Requiem", and it is also one of the "big songs". The operation details of the red score of this song are more troublesome than many purple music.

Xiaohao is only 7 years old, and his parents take him to play games, which is the envy of many players. Some players in the communication group joked: "I'm 7 years old and I'm not Maimai', yet. I'm still playing with mud." Compared with Xiao Hao, most post-00 players can only find out what games to play when they are young, not to mention the support of their parents.

The players in the sound tour group recall what games they played at the age of 7. In my opinion, Xiao Hao's family belongs to a typical "post-80s parents' family". The mother has little contact with games and even opposes them, but will respect their children's hobbies and won't interfere too much. The father spent his youth under the influence of "Legend", "Dota" and "World of Warcraft". He often supported his children in playing games and more or less projected his experience as a player on his children. What they have in common is that they will not yell at their children, but they will be careful to reason, and they will not regard video games as scourges.

"Today's young people play mobile games, right? I really didn't know 'dance cute' before. Should this belong to youth culture? he is only 7 years old, and sometimes he is still afraid that he will be exposed to bad things."

Lao Liu is really old, and he will gradually feel scared. He is afraid that the 7-year-old Xiaohao will come into contact with something too adult and too negative. After all, the Internet is too developed to protect Xiaohao.

"I just hope he can get in touch with the adult, dark part of the game later." Lao Liu told me.

I asked him, "how late?"

"parents, of course, hope that the later the better."

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