GameDr Device Limits Gaming Time

I’m sure there have been many times when parents, spouses and friends have wished they could find a way to limit the gaming of someone they want to spend more time with.  I’ve definitely gotten swept up in games and lost hundreds of hours trying to get to the next level or get a higher score.

While there have been other devices before, 79-year old John Morrisey’s GameDr is currently taking center stage.  It’s similar to a cooking timer (which you could just use instead – I’m sure it would be cheaper/easier to find) and it can be programmed to shut off the power to a console after a predetermined amount of time has passed.  It connects to the power cord so it’s not unique to any one console.

I think it sounds decent since there is a middle ground here since people can still play their game but will be less likely to go overboard with it.  That seems to be Morrisey’s reasoning when he invented it.  He said: “video games are great.  There is evidence that they improve the reflexes and the thinking process. But right now, for many parents, the option is all or nothing — they either let the kids play the video game or they take it away for two weeks.”

Of course, gamers could always replace their power cord and bypass the GameDr all together.

What do you think?  If the GameDr a good idea?  Would you ever use one?  I don’t know if I’d attach it for my kids since they tend to listen when I tell them to turn off their game but I could use it for myself.  On all of the sites that have talked about this device, they seem to view it in a punitive context but I thought it was a good personal tool.  Sometimes I want to sneak in a few minutes of Tetris (that game is so relaxing to me) but I don’t want to blow a whole afternoon on it.  I would use this to keep myself on track so I don’t think it’s only use is to limit the gaming time of others.

image: Digital Innovations