Do you let kids win when you play video games with them or do you try hard?

[baileykun]

I believe my skills in tabletop gaming came from always playing against experienced adults and learning what they did to win. Now I can crush people in my peer groups. Video games are likely the same way. Those kids will learn from their losses and grow faster than their peers who were handed easy wins. You do no one any favors by letting them win. Kids these days also really need to learn sportsmanship and being a good loser which doesn't get enough emphasis these days. I hate when someone my age even loses and throws a tantrum.

Conclusion: Whip their ass and then explain to them what they did wrong and how they can adapt their strategies. It's what I would want others to do for my children and it's what I would to to other's children. You learn when you lose and not when you win.

[oldgamerz]

I will let them win (sometimes) when I am trying to show the person how to play the game . most times kids are quick at least in my family and they started beating me as much as I beat them

If someone has a problem with you winning you can tell them this in quotes

"If you want to get better then you must continue to play  with me or someone else better then yourself"
or
"If you want to help master a competitive video game then you need to at least practice with someone better then yourself (just like in real life martial arts )"

I do go easy at first but I still give them a fair challenge also tell your opponent to be patient

I take some of this back, instead of you telling new comers to be patient you yourself should be the patient one in most cases.

 It has been a long time since I played with anyone. Anyway? just have fun the key word here is (to have fun) be glad you have someone who wants to play with you

[shfan]

If the kids are ever over and it's multiplayer time then I put on something co-operative rather than head-to-head, Streets of Rage 2 for instance. If it was head-to-head then I would certainly let them win. One young lad in my fiance's family loves to play 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, I was laughing my back off as he gunned down mercenaries while smack-talking them (no cursing or anything, just thoroughly enjoying murdering the baddies) and he also loves playing Goat Simulator - getting the goat to sticky-tongue on to moving vehicles and getting pulled along is a favourite, as is turning hapless NPCs into zombies.

[betelgeuse]

If I’m at home, I’ll just step back and let the kids play.
If I’m in an arcade playing... sorry kid, but I’m not gonna keep putting credits into a game that’s most likely a dollar or more per play.
I remember back in the day playing Mortal Kombat (high school days) and this old lady getting mad at me for beating her ~7 year old grandson. My friend who worked there eventually asked me to take a break in exchange for some free credits when she left, so he didn’t have to hear her nagging about how arcade games are supposed to be for kids.
I stepped back and watched as her grandson played. Every time the match was over, whether he won or lost, she fed tokens into the machine for the next player.