They have to take care him until he is 18. It is the law.

You still don't bite the hand that feeds you.

Well I see it as, this kid's parents is being hostile to him. But going up against the hand that feeds you can make your life very miserable indeed. That is why I suggest, he feign obedience. Then everyone kind of gets what they want until his dark secret :P is released or discovered but by that time, this kid should of already moved out. And when he is 18, if he wants to send a huge fuck you message to his parents, he can join the military. :P But even if he doesn't want to send such a message to his parents, the military is still a good option. They will teach him a skill, make him more mature etc.

I'm quite worried about the approach some here go with the "their house, their rules". While this should apply to real things but something as trivial as video games and I'm sorry, it feels like they are trying to force their religion on you in a sneaky passive-aggressive way. Ugh, personally, I would have flipped out.

Move the games to your cousin and play there and play at home when your parents aren't there. The way you described your father's argument "decentizised your spirit" makes me believe that he'll not accept a single argument that comes out from your mouth regardless of what it is, how you say it or when you say it.

This, absolutely this. This is why I think anything rational, calm or compromise will be for nothing because deeply religious people think there can be no compromise like that's the first step towards being a sinner for all your life or something like that.

I don't think providing someone with food and shelter gives people a license to shape the minds and souls of their guests or a license to try to. That is insanity. And children are guests of the parents. Not slaves. Not creatures to experiment with. Not souls that need to be saved. Unfortunately most parents disagree with me.

This must be the first time I agree with you 100%.

I'm sure his parents mean well and want him to learn responsibility which is perhaps one way of doing it, for example getting a part-time jop and only using a part of that money into video games. I'm not sure they will see it that way though, at least until he's 18 this is a very grey area.

I'm curious OP: say you have been playing System Shock 2 but isn't that a rather violent game? Have you been playing when your parents wouldn't notice or did you manage to convince them that it isn't real violence?

Do what they say until you move out.

This

This always seemed to be a fairly silly argument - even if we forget everything else, your parents are one of the first people you have to learn to stand up to if you don't want to be pushed around for the rest of your life. It's fine. Kids were doing that since the dawn of mankind and we still seem to be alive.

Depending on were you live in the United States emancipation is a possibility. Its a bit radical, but it could get you out of the situation all together

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_of_minors

And I could just as easily write a nice sounding thing about how we used to have respect for authority and discipline instead of thinking we are unique special snowflakes who should get everything we want.

In the end there's a happy medium between the extremes, as there always is, but in the case of something purely optional and entertaining like video games I think kids need to do what their parents say.

I don't know if this helps but while I knew of the Battle of Hastings before gaming I didn't really know anything about it. I don't think I could pass a history test based I what I've learned from AOE or EE but it has 'kind of' educated me.

Yes, you could also write a nice sounding thing about how grass used to be greener :-P

Uh... okay?

The point is there is a fine line between standing up for independence and being an entitled brat with no respect for authority. I certainly think his parents sound nuts but it's not my place to say and it's not his place to defy them on something like this. It's not like they're refusing to let him go to college or something else that really matters.

Yeah, there is a fine line. But different things matter differently to various people. Spoiled brat would be someone arguing against something perfectly reasonable, but dictating your 18 years old child how should he spend his free time - especially if you don't even bother to find out what he thinks and how he feels about it - is most certainly unreasonable. It's not about telling them how to raise their son or whatever, he's 18 - far too late for that.