| Zombie survival training. |
Video Games: ...why? • Page 2
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jiveguy 917 posts
Seen 3 days ago
Registered 19 years ago -
Zomoniac 10,628 posts
Seen 1 hour ago
Registered 17 years agoryandsimmons wrote:
By day I'm a mild mannered Payroll Manager, with a 2 hour commute, a mortgage and live in shitty. cold, rainy, grey London.
By night (or during commute) I am a moustachiod plumber who rescues the princess, or I am a warrior who kills gods, or a random set of blocks that gets moved to make other blocks move and dissappear...
But at least you can say... you've lived. -
sirtacos 8,279 posts
Seen 4 months ago
Registered 14 years agoVideogames are a waste of time, but then so is everything else.
The only thing about videogames is that they don't really align with the evolutionary imperative to reproduce. They kind of do the opposite, actually. In that sense, videogames are more of a waste of time than other hobbies as they generally don't include human interaction and don't give you any practical skills. Games like WoW are even worse, as they are a form of digital crack that preys on the gamer's reward pathways until he or she becomes a slavering mass of jelly.
Ultimately however, games are only as futile as life itself. The hollow pang of guilt and shame as you get up from your marathon gaming session leaves you with the same sense of void as does a lengthy wank or the contemplation of existence during a mid-life crisis.
So until death comes to offer sweet release, videogames are a passable distraction from the constant tail-chasing of life. Incidentally, games are also a perfect encapsulation of the pointlessness of being. Especially The Sims. -
Dave_McCoy 3,410 posts
Seen 21 hours ago
Registered 14 years agoGames are my TV. I rarely watch any TV but do a fair bit of gaming and reading.
I don't worry about any remaining stigma involved because when they're sitting, slack jawed, watching Britain's Got 'Talent', I'm enjoying an interactive experience that actually requires input from myself. The escapism is what's important.
At the moment I'm single (I know! How?) but usually when I'm seeing someone I curb my gaming, unless she happens to be into it, the dirty mare. It's a pastime rather then an addiction...honest....*goes back to FFXIII* -
Biggy316 25,288 posts
Seen 2 weeks ago
Registered 13 years agojiveguy wrote:
Zombie survival training.
This. -
Britesparc 2,342 posts
Seen 11 minutes ago
Registered 15 years agoDave_McCoy wrote:
Games are my TV.
This is closest to how I feel, and I work in TV. -
andywilkie35 5,327 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 16 years agoDave_McCoy wrote:
Games are my TV. I rarely watch any TV but do a fair bit of gaming and reading.
This is essentially my view, the only thing I watch on TV is Match of the Day, otherwise I just game and read. -
Melchett 106 posts
Seen 10 years ago
Registered 12 years agoFor me, a little childishly perhaps, it's all about exploration and discovery. One of my favourite things to do is visit a new city, country or part of the countryside and just see what I can find.
Thanks to a job that doesn't pay brilliantly I rarely have either the time or money to go looking around any particularly exotic environments out there in the real world. The virtual worlds offered up by videogames seem a decent enough substitute. -
Guff-Pipe 602 posts
Seen 17 hours ago
Registered 17 years agoBlerk wrote:
Games have sort of replaced TV for me as I've grown older. I watch very little telly now (apart from movies), although I still read just as many books.
This. Tv is utter pump. -
Guff-Pipe 602 posts
Seen 17 hours ago
Registered 17 years agoBritesparc wrote:
Dave_McCoy wrote:
Games are my TV.
This is closest to how I feel, and I work in TV.
Ha Ha! Exactly the same here!!! -
DFawkes 32,785 posts
Seen 15 hours ago
Registered 16 years agoTV is mostly guff nowadays. That and I like virtually doing things my natural cowardice prevents, like shooting things that shoot back, or drive very fast, or drive a Lorry. -
JoeGBallad 476 posts
Seen 5 hours ago
Registered 12 years agoIt definitely started when I was really young with my dad's BBC micro. I could get 'lost' playing games like Exile and Citadel. I never had my own console until the N64 came out, so the first game I actually owned was Zelda OoT. Starting with such a masterpiece, I was bound to get hooked on games I suppose.
My reason for playing games back then was always to see how many I could complete. OoT was so satisfying when I completed it, I looked for games that had a similar feeling. Nowadays I don't complete games as much, but I'm more concerned with just experiencing as many games as possible.
Maybe I'm just some sort of OCD completist who has to experience everything. -
JetSetWilly 5,720 posts
Seen 1 year ago
Registered 16 years agoBlerk wrote:
Games have sort of replaced TV for me as I've grown older. I watch very little telly now (apart from movies), although I still read just as many books.
Another vote for this. -
Fab4 8,924 posts
Seen 1 year ago
Registered 15 years agoI like shooting people I dont know. If it wasnt for video games I would have had to emigrate to the US and join the postal service 
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gallow 504 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 17 years agoI have gamed ever since I had my first spectrum when I was 10. I am now 36, married, mortgage and 2 kids. I love gaming and I don't think I could ever drop it as I think a large piece of my life would be missing (after my kids and wife). I don't really have many hobbies other than reading, films and watching a little telly (mainly comedy). I am not a sporty person at all and as you can guess quite lazy.
My gaming is now limited to between 8-12 at night after the kids have gone to bed mixed in with some tv catchup time and getting ready for the next days work. Between you and me its the part of the day I look forward to most.
I also find gaming gives me a good avenue to escape from the world for a little bit and on some days (when on my own) a way to vent my frustration and rage when things don't go my way (several broken controllers and the odd door kicked off its hinges). -
SomaticSense 15,062 posts
Seen 3 years ago
Registered 16 years agoI hate this discussion. It's one I'm always forced into IRL as well, and I don't feel we, as gamers, should ever have to justify it.
It's an entertainment medium, nothing else. No one ever has to find themselves justifying why they watch Eastenders very day, or have to see the new blockbuster at the cinema, or watch Big Brother, or see the latest West End production, or read the latest bestseller. So why is it just gamers that are constantly having their hobby dismissed as "a waste of time", or are told to "do something productive"?.
If I wasn't playing games when I've just got back from a hard day at work, then my mind would be totally switched off being rotted away from watching whatever soap crap is currently on the box. Surely it's better to keep the brain active and sharp by playing a game, which requires infinitely more mental activity than any of the above 'pastimes'?
The one time a girlfriend ever told me to stop gaming, I told her to quit watching all the shit she watched on TV as it's no different. Didn't go down that well, but she shut up from then on... -
Zerobob 3,017 posts
Seen 49 minutes ago
Registered 12 years agoI think it was the technical aspect that first got me interested in them i.e. being impressed that you could play something electronic completely interactive on a TV.
Then as games become more technically advanced I think it drives you to want better and better games.
They are also easy accessibly, require little effort to play, offer entertainment in long or short bursts, offer unlimited challenge if you play online, sometimes offer unimited depth if they allow customisation and offer social competitiveness between friends.
They also offer the same factors as films, such as the wow factor of special effects or a good compelling storyline.
Basically, there's literally every reason to like games, which is why I can't understand people who don't like playing them. -
PlugMonkey 158 posts
Seen 3 days ago
Registered 18 years agoSomaticSense wrote:
I hate this discussion. It's one I'm always forced into IRL as well, and I don't feel we, as gamers, should ever have to justify it.
I don't think the OP is asking you to justify it, just try to explain why you choose video games over TV or books or pigeon racing or crochet or any of the millions of other ways of marking out time until you die.
Me, I always loved the escapism and interactivity. There is simply no better way to explore a fictional setting. And I enjoy the mental stimulation. I feel much more engaged by a video game than by any other medium.
I've been in love with them for as long as I can remember, and I've never been able to understand quite what's wrong with people who don't love them. I mean, how could you not? -
gallow wrote:
I have gamed ever since I had my first spectrum when I was 10. I am now 36, married, mortgage and 2 kids. I love gaming and I don't think I could ever drop it as I think a large piece of my life would be missing (after my kids and wife). I don't really have many hobbies other than reading, films and watching a little telly (mainly comedy). I am not a sporty person at all and as you can guess quite lazy.
My gaming is now limited to between 8-12 at night after the kids have gone to bed mixed in with some tv catchup time and getting ready for the next days work. Between you and me its the part of the day I look forward to most.
I also find gaming gives me a good avenue to escape from the world for a little bit and on some days (when on my own) a way to vent my frustration and rage when things don't go my way (several broken controllers and the odd door kicked off its hinges).
Loved your post. Good call. -
Lawrens 395 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 12 years agoI laugh and smile when I play an amusing game, and I feel happy. -
Aquilasever 114 posts
Seen 11 years ago
Registered 12 years agoWell, I'm now thinking of ditching the Tv license for games, Internet and books! There isn't a lot on Tv even with Sky . Just the odd bit of news, 24, wrestling and SyFy and that's it. But missus loves documentaries and I like MOTD. -
kendoji 441 posts
Seen 3 years ago
Registered 14 years agosirtacos wrote:
Videogames are a waste of time, but then so is everything else.
The only thing about videogames is that they don't really align with the evolutionary imperative to reproduce. They kind of do the opposite, actually. In that sense, videogames are more of a waste of time than other hobbies as they generally don't include human interaction and don't give you any practical skills. Games like WoW are even worse, as they are a form of digital crack that preys on the gamer's reward pathways until he or she becomes a slavering mass of jelly.
Ultimately however, games are only as futile as life itself. The hollow pang of guilt and shame as you get up from your marathon gaming session leaves you with the same sense of void as does a lengthy wank or the contemplation of existence during a mid-life crisis.
So until death comes to offer sweet release, videogames are a passable distraction from the constant tail-chasing of life. Incidentally, games are also a perfect encapsulation of the pointlessness of being. Especially The Sims.
Great post - well said. -
Fletche 3,418 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 14 years agoI simply enjoy gaming, I love the aspect of being able to step into a fantasy world and escape from real life whenever I want to. Really think I have been gaming too long now to give up, but then can't see any reason why I would want to, Mrs Fletche doesn't mind and we don't have kids, saying that I do mix my gaming with as many other pursuits as possible, the days of sitting there for hours in front on my TV or PC are long gone. -
Huxamalay 320 posts
Seen 3 years ago
Registered 12 years agoSomaticSense wrote:
I hate this discussion. It's one I'm always forced into IRL as well, and I don't feel we, as gamers, should ever have to justify it.
It's an entertainment medium, nothing else. No one ever has to find themselves justifying why they watch Eastenders very day, or have to see the new blockbuster at the cinema, or watch Big Brother, or see the latest West End production, or read the latest bestseller. So why is it just gamers that are constantly having their hobby dismissed as "a waste of time", or are told to "do something productive"?.
If I wasn't playing games when I've just got back from a hard day at work, then my mind would be totally switched off being rotted away from watching whatever soap crap is currently on the box. Surely it's better to keep the brain active and sharp by playing a game, which requires infinitely more mental activity than any of the above 'pastimes'?
The one time a girlfriend ever told me to stop gaming, I told her to quit watching all the shit she watched on TV as it's no different. Didn't go down that well, but she shut up from then on...
This, and lol at the last comment -
Kristine 48 posts
Seen 10 years ago
Registered 12 years agoI've been around video games since I was very small - some of my earliest memories are sitting by my dad playing text adventure type games on a ZX81 (anybody remember those?)
I couldn't imagine giving up games. I have plenty of other interests, but I just couldn't imagine spending as much time on any of them.
Waste of time? It's my leisure time, so not really wasted, any more than watching telly or reading.. or as others do: going out getting drunk, crawling home, and being too ill to move the following day. I personally think that's more of a waste of time, and money
I played Planetarion for a while, now that's an addictive game. This one did start to have a bad effect on my social life - as the game was real time I'd be after going home early to join in battles and so on, and always wanting to be near the computer. Also messed with my sleep, as attacks would often happen in the middle of the night, and people from your alliance would call you to get you online to help out. -
DFawkes 32,785 posts
Seen 15 hours ago
Registered 16 years agoI won't. I won't, I can cut out pedantry. I can. I can do this. Sorry, no I can't. "Addictive". Please forgive me. I can't help myself! Ignore this bit here. I'm awful. I blame Animal Crossing, one of the characters keeps saying something is "addicting".
You're right though, Planetarion was very good. Co-ordinating things just right was an art form. I only played in the days before I had mobile internet, or even my own net connection, so I'd stay logged in at a friends house and call him up at all hours to check. That was unhealthy, but at least now I'm done! -
Kristine 48 posts
Seen 10 years ago
Registered 12 years agoThanks, lol. I normally spot and hate that kind of thing myself. Fixed 
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RobTheBuilder 6,976 posts
Seen 1 day ago
Registered 17 years ago
But at least you can say... you've lived.
I've led a life of dubious virtue... -
"addicting" doesn't have a little squiggly red spell-check line under it. Therefore, it is a real word! Addicting! Addicting!
The end is nigh.
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