PSA for parents on Christmas day.

If you have bought a new system for your kids you should open it up and set it all up with the internet and updates. Also install the game and any updates NOW or else the kids won't be able to do anything with it on Christmas day.

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Originally Posted by Renalt

If you have bought a new system for your kids you should open it up and set it all up with the internet and updates. Also install the game and any updates NOW or else the kids won't be able to do anything with it on Christmas day.

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And, if they still want to keep the system a surprise from the kids, do that after they go to bed.

If these kids are teenagers, you should just let them do it though. If a kid is old enough they like to do it themselves usually.

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Originally Posted by DamianFatale

If these kids are teenagers, you should just let them do it though. If a kid is old enough they like to do it themselves usually.

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If the choice is "play as soon as I open my present" vs "set it up exactly the way I want it but can't play until tomorrow", I struggle to imagine a kid choosing B. Set it up for them in advance and let them customize the settings later.

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Originally Posted by Renalt

If you have bought a new system for your kids you should open it up and set it all up with the internet and updates. Also install the game and any updates NOW or else the kids won't be able to do anything with it on Christmas day.

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Got my kids switch games thankfully; no need to buy all new systems. (they prefer their switches; something about the whole portable thing...)

No kids on my end. But I did it for my cousin a few years ago when playstation 4 was the hot item. I even went the extra mile and wrapped it in my old Xbox box. Mean, maybe. But he would have been happy with whatever system. It was a great holiday.

Slight edit,: He wanted the playstation.

This is going off of limited research, because I don't use consoles anymore:

It's possible a teenager may prefer you to do it the usb way. It limits the update download times and allows them to do it themselves. It depends no who the person is. Their personality matters. The more tech oriented or independent the teenager is, the more likely they would want to do it themselves.

If I'm wrong about usb being viable, correct me. It probably also allows the teenager to spend more time with family during the updates anyway, and if for some reason they do struggle, a family member can help them 'learn how to fish.'

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Originally Posted by Renalt

If you have bought a new system for your kids you should open it up and set it all up with the internet and updates. Also install the game and any updates NOW or else the kids won't be able to do anything with it on Christmas day.

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Don't let your kids roll a miqo'te or lalafell.

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Originally Posted by DamianFatale

If these kids are teenagers, you should just let them do it though. If a kid is old enough they like to do it themselves usually.

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He's talking about how the networks tend to crash on Christmas because of all the load from gifts. So yes, it is better to set up in advance so they can actually play games.


At least, that's how I read it. But yes, some games also have 50gig updates which are ridiculous.

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Originally Posted by Valkyrie_Lenneth

But yes, some games also have 50gig updates which are ridiculous.

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I remember my first 40mb hard drive and being told I had wasted my money because there was no way anyone would ever need that much space.

That 50 gig will seem like nothing 20 years from now.

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Originally Posted by Rongway

If the choice is "play as soon as I open my present" vs "set it up exactly the way I want it but can't play until tomorrow", I struggle to imagine a kid choosing B. Set it up for them in advance and let them customize the settings later.

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I disagree with this strongly, because I used to be that teenager. Also Reddit had a debate about this, and it was overwhelmingly pro choice when it came to letting teens do it themselves verses the kids.

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Originally Posted by DamianFatale

I disagree with this strongly, because I used to be that teenager. Also Reddit had a debate about this, and it was overwhelmingly pro choice when it came to letting teens do it themselves verses the kids.

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Settings can be changed, and the setup can be redone from scratch if they really care that much. However, network congestion from a million people trying to update their systems during the initial setup after unboxing on Christmas day is lost time that could have been spent gaming if the parents had done initial setup and updates early, and that time can't be reclaimed.

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Originally Posted by Anienai

Don't let your kids roll a miqo'te or lalafell.

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Actually letting a kid play as a Lalafell is a very good choice. I have seen a lot of lewd behavior towards friends who play Miqote and Au Ra but not even once has someone tried to talk inappropriate to me. Lalafell are pretty much a no-go for those people.

Nah... you make them start all the installs and updates after they open it so they have nothing to do but spend time with family till it's done... >.>

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Originally Posted by Rongway

Settings can be changed, and the setup can be redone from scratch if they really care that much. However, network congestion from a million people trying to update their systems during the initial setup after unboxing on Christmas day is lost time that could have been spent gaming if the parents had done initial setup and updates early, and that time can't be reclaimed.

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Why would they spend time gaming on Christmas anyway?

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Originally Posted by Zsolen

Why would they spend time gaming on Christmas anyway?

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I'm not here to debate what activities you think kids should or should not be participating in on a given day. It is not relevant to my or the OP's point.

If someone wants their kid to be able to enjoy the present they got on the day they got it instead of having to wait until potentially the next day for the congestion on the update servers to die down, they should be updated ahead of the unwrapping.

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Originally Posted by Anienai

Don't let your kids roll a miqo'te or lalafell.

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Oh haha no kids for me! I just work in the gaming retail industry and the amount of angry parents I get when their child is upset they can't do ANYTHING with their system cause of all the updating and what not made me put this PSA up for anyone who is a parent on here.

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Originally Posted by Rongway

Settings can be changed, and the setup can be redone from scratch if they really care that much. However, network congestion from a million people trying to update their systems during the initial setup after unboxing on Christmas day is lost time that could have been spent gaming if the parents had done initial setup and updates early, and that time can't be reclaimed.

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If they really cared that much, resetting it from scratch wouldn't solve the issue, because you took it out of the box, and set it up. Its better to just give the gift, and ask what they want.

Huh, well thanks for the heads-up if I get nephew and nieces next gen consoles.

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Originally Posted by Avatre

And, if they still want to keep the system a surprise from the kids, do that after they go to bed.

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Then put it back in the box so they can open it once again but everything is fully setup!

Letting them set it up keeps them occupied for that much longer.