There’s never been an easier point in history to waste time than now. Especially with the advent of video games and their gradual evolution into slot machine-like addiction engines, more and more kids are electing to forgo homework, jobs and even college to sink more time into their favorite title.
And parents should let them go ahead and keep doing it, according to Yoshiyuki Tomino, creator of the epic space opera anime franchise Gundam.
In a recent issue of anime magazine New Type, Tomino penned a response to a fan letter asking for advice on how to get his college-aged son to give up video games and go to school.
“If your kid wants to play video games all day,” says Tomino, “just give up on him.”
It sounds like harsh advice coming from a man who has spent the majority of his life coming up with designs for impractical, make-believe giant robots, but we think that’s just Tomino’s blunt writing style talking.
Elaborating, Tomino writes, “Once someone reaches the age of 20 or so, it’s impossible to tell them what to do. The decision to go and make something of yourself is up to you alone.” Tomino also goes on to say that he relates to the reader’s son, penning that he too hated the idea of working, which is why he became an anime director.
Although Tomino never specifically mentions it in the letter, we like to think there’s also an underlying message that passionate involvement in a hobby, no matter how pointless it may seem, can translate to a successful career some day.
Source: My Game News Flash
Headline Photo: Wikimedia Commons