According to researchers from Brigham Young University, playing games consoles together helps families to become more tight-knit.
In particular, a daddy-daughter effect is detected when a game suitable for the child's age range is played.
Girls do not only like stereotypical games; Guitar Hero, Rock Band and Mario Kart are all popular among females.
Meanwhile, boys typically prefer Halo and Call of Duty, but both genders rank Wii Sports highly.
Professor Sarah Coyne, lead author of the research, notes that girls typically spend less time playing videogames than boys do.
But both genders spend around the same amount of time playing when a parent becomes involved.
Consoles such as the Nintendo Wii are particularly suited to family play, with wireless communications capabilities allowing four people to join in at once on most games.
Posted by Andre Dixon
