Since this site is heavily focused around me being a GamerDad, I thought it might be a good idea to give a brief overview of who the gamerdads are and how we evolved from a rag-tag group of gaming dads (and moms) posting in a thread to an organized group of folks, complete with a website and a dedicated Xbox.com forum.

The first version of the GamerDads (& Moms) thread started when MO MOSS made an off-the-cuff remark about "Xbox Dad" and wondered if maybe gamerparents might be able to get a forum icon akin to the GamerchiX (we're still holding out for one!).


This innocent comment snowballed into a 200+ page thread filled with all sorts of discussions about gaming, parenting, and the sacred union of the two. Unfortunately, kiki kat had to shut'er'down, because the xbox forums don't handle such large threads very well. Since MO was on a bit of a leave, ethanjude started v2.0 of the thread on September 19, 2007. Not long after that, my son was born and I surprised all my Xbox friends (especially beezy2584) by announcing this, as they didn't know I was expecting. After that, I became a regular in the thread and have come to treasure the support and advice of all my fellow gamerparents. Whether be it helping with tips on child rearing, to how to maintain a healthy relationship with your partner during stressful times to how to achieve a balance between gaming and parenting, the exchanges in the thread are indispensable.

In early January, our dedication was rewarded and the GamerParents received their very own Xbox.com forum, #849. This allowed us to break off certain topics that might oversaturate the main gamerparents thread. It also brought in a lot more gamerparents who didn't notice the single thread, but found it hard to miss the forum right at the top of the list. The forum is also dedicated to all things family gaming and has seen numerous discussions and debates regarding Xbox Live online behaviour and what is and is not appropriate as well as games that can be enjoyed in a family atmosphere.

It was also around this time that www.gamerdadslive.com was registered as the new home of the website davc4 had been developing where we set up events, talk about stuff that might not be related to Xbox and generally have a jolly old time - especially with the shoutbox. But don't let the name fool you, we welcome all gamerparents - not just dads. (We even have a special group called the GamerDads Wives =). We have our own well-organized Call of Duty 4 clan "DaDS" and have held tournaments for Halo 3 and Ultimate Mortal Kombat, among others. We also have a weekly Texas Hold'em XBLA tournament, that began on February 21, 2008 with yours truly as the inaugural champion.

While the last thread lasted nearly a year, v2.0 lasted a mere five months, growing to 204 pages and getting locked down on February 18, 2008. Seeing as how no one took my suggestion a week or two earlier that we take a proactive approach in making v3.0 and let MO MOSS take the reigns again, it was a race to see who would create v3.0 of the thread, and our resident a gamerscore whore, JD Buck took pole position. Already at 63 pages, v3.0 of the thread is on track to hit 200 pages by summer.

Post on, GamerDads & Moms, post on.

P.S. I wanted to give a special thanks to kiki kat, our very own GamerMom, Forum moderator and recent Xbox VIP award recipient who has been extremely supportive of the gamerparents, and played an instrumental role in securing us our own forum. We love ya kiki!