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My father in law tried to make light of me playing video games on Christmas. Luckily, I was awake and fully prepaired to not take shit from anyone. I spoke with the voice of god that, "This is my sports." As I looked him dead in the eyes, he seemed to back away. I explained that this is a "real thing, that real people are really into." Furthering that I'm considering a trip to EVO this year in Las Vegas, because it is an actual thing that is actually interesting to me as my "super bowl."
If I was pressed further, I was prepared to go on about how foolish it is to like a sports team because you were born in a particular area, the same argument I have against patriotism. This type of stupidity and ignorance bothers me like nothing else. Video games are pretty god damn important to me. They're my thing. They're your thing. Their our thing. To let some cocksucker spit venom towards our chosen hobby without first looking inward on his own interests lacks intelligence. I will not be bullied by anyone.
As for playing games, I justified buying tons of PS2 games over the last couple years, with the intent of writing about them. Some of them were awful, like that shitty Tekken action game with the blonde chick. Others I managed to actually put out some content for this site, like Blood Will Tell. The hope was to share the knowledge of these more obscure but still relevant games with people, in the hopes that they will play them or have played them, and that through our communications some sort of social bond would form.
A favorite story from my time at Destructoid was playing Grand Theft Auto IV with a former writer for the site. The two of us just dicked around, talking about Metal Gear Solid IV and how stupid the Playstation 3 was at the time. We somehow got on the subject of comic books or the best video games ever, and I brought up the Punisher game, one of my favorites. Sometime after that, he wrote a piece analyzing the game that made me smile. My internet detective skills failed to find the article, but it happened because of me and I laughed about that.
Being able to talk about video games is awesome. People who are into it and know what I'm talking about, I love them. People that don't like me or don't want to talk about my particular interests, fuck em.
If I was pressed further, I was prepared to go on about how foolish it is to like a sports team because you were born in a particular area, the same argument I have against patriotism. This type of stupidity and ignorance bothers me like nothing else. Video games are pretty god damn important to me. They're my thing. They're your thing. Their our thing. To let some cocksucker spit venom towards our chosen hobby without first looking inward on his own interests lacks intelligence. I will not be bullied by anyone.
As for playing games, I justified buying tons of PS2 games over the last couple years, with the intent of writing about them. Some of them were awful, like that shitty Tekken action game with the blonde chick. Others I managed to actually put out some content for this site, like Blood Will Tell. The hope was to share the knowledge of these more obscure but still relevant games with people, in the hopes that they will play them or have played them, and that through our communications some sort of social bond would form.
A favorite story from my time at Destructoid was playing Grand Theft Auto IV with a former writer for the site. The two of us just dicked around, talking about Metal Gear Solid IV and how stupid the Playstation 3 was at the time. We somehow got on the subject of comic books or the best video games ever, and I brought up the Punisher game, one of my favorites. Sometime after that, he wrote a piece analyzing the game that made me smile. My internet detective skills failed to find the article, but it happened because of me and I laughed about that.
Being able to talk about video games is awesome. People who are into it and know what I'm talking about, I love them. People that don't like me or don't want to talk about my particular interests, fuck em.
I think you're largely confusing enjoyable with productive. Sure, some activities related to gaming can be productive but it's a huge stretch to say that all gaming is productive. Similarly, just because other hobbies are not productive, it does not make gaming productive. But it doesn't really matter either way - the value of an activity isn't determined by how productive it is... unless you're a utilitarian.
Nicely said.
... and with more active games now, we can even overcome the old argument of "at least with golf, you get some exercise"! :)
You are very right that gaming tends to replace passive activities in the lives of most people. It tends to replace watching TV or reading a book time for me (though I still find time for those activities as well... just less time because I game.) The thing is... for someone like me that doesn't get out much (no work, no school), gaming also provides social interaction that TV and books don't provide. I meet all kinds of interesting people in online play. I also think that gaming keeps the mind more active because it's not as passive as watching TV. You have to plan, think, react.
As far as hobbies go, it's really not a bad hobby at all... and it's cheaper than golf! :)
... and with more active games now, we can even overcome the old argument of "at least with golf, you get some exercise"! :)
You are very right that gaming tends to replace passive activities in the lives of most people. It tends to replace watching TV or reading a book time for me (though I still find time for those activities as well... just less time because I game.) The thing is... for someone like me that doesn't get out much (no work, no school), gaming also provides social interaction that TV and books don't provide. I meet all kinds of interesting people in online play. I also think that gaming keeps the mind more active because it's not as passive as watching TV. You have to plan, think, react.
As far as hobbies go, it's really not a bad hobby at all... and it's cheaper than golf! :)
For a gamer, that wrong thing to ask or say amounts to "Wouldn't it be better to do something productive rather than play video games?"
There are more productive things than video games. Sometimes when I'm playing a game, I look out the window and see the sun shining, and think to myself: "Damn, it's such a beautiful day, let me go out."
Everything must be done in moderation, though. Gaming can be addictive and dangerous. You also must keep in mind that not all games are productive, some are bullshit. It's like the difference between reading Twilight and Death Ship -- they both offer vastly different experiences; one is a commentary about passports and the other is complete bullshit. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it all depends on the game. Gaming, as you pointed out, has a lot of positive things to it, but we also must not ignore its dark side.
There are more productive things than video games. Sometimes when I'm playing a game, I look out the window and see the sun shining, and think to myself: "Damn, it's such a beautiful day, let me go out."
Everything must be done in moderation, though. Gaming can be addictive and dangerous. You also must keep in mind that not all games are productive, some are bullshit. It's like the difference between reading Twilight and Death Ship -- they both offer vastly different experiences; one is a commentary about passports and the other is complete bullshit. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it all depends on the game. Gaming, as you pointed out, has a lot of positive things to it, but we also must not ignore its dark side.
@Stephen - I think anything that helps people unwind or engages the mind is a productive activity and I think I made it rather clear I don't dismiss anything. Its all productive on some level, be it a passive activity or an active one.
Let's say you enjoy ballroom dancing, but someone else will not dance because they think its "gay." Funny how something being "gay" is implied to be feminine or effeminate when to take the lead is one of the most gentlemanly and plain manly things you can do in the situation. Yet they say its "gay" and sit on the sidelines, forcing their girlfriends to struggle and learn with other women, so half of those women don't learn to dance correctly.
A man is supposed to control the flow of a dance and the woman is meant to be the momentum he generates. They're supposed to function as opposites and when the lady is learning a man's role, she doesn't learn that and its hard to switch back out.
And do you know why he really says dancing is "gay?" Because its not and he's just scared that he's going to have a raging boner in proximity to a women he may or actually may not be familiar with. In essence, he's just protecting himself from potential embarrassment and nothing more. Yet were he to allow himself to get used to the idea of dancing and being that close to a woman he may have just met, that likely would not happen at all.
Throwing up walls and making inane distinctions just because you don't want to understand or get used to another activity doesn't mean the activity is without merit. Given the chance you may enjoy the activity or you may not, but the pastime still has merit to someone. The point isn't that it produces something or that it has value to other people, but whether or not it satisfies and refreshes you.
Let's say you enjoy ballroom dancing, but someone else will not dance because they think its "gay." Funny how something being "gay" is implied to be feminine or effeminate when to take the lead is one of the most gentlemanly and plain manly things you can do in the situation. Yet they say its "gay" and sit on the sidelines, forcing their girlfriends to struggle and learn with other women, so half of those women don't learn to dance correctly.
A man is supposed to control the flow of a dance and the woman is meant to be the momentum he generates. They're supposed to function as opposites and when the lady is learning a man's role, she doesn't learn that and its hard to switch back out.
And do you know why he really says dancing is "gay?" Because its not and he's just scared that he's going to have a raging boner in proximity to a women he may or actually may not be familiar with. In essence, he's just protecting himself from potential embarrassment and nothing more. Yet were he to allow himself to get used to the idea of dancing and being that close to a woman he may have just met, that likely would not happen at all.
Throwing up walls and making inane distinctions just because you don't want to understand or get used to another activity doesn't mean the activity is without merit. Given the chance you may enjoy the activity or you may not, but the pastime still has merit to someone. The point isn't that it produces something or that it has value to other people, but whether or not it satisfies and refreshes you.
@TSP
"The point isn't that it produces something or that it has value to other people, but whether or not it satisfies and refreshes you."
That's what I'm saying. It's no good to try to defend gaming as productive in order to validate it as gaming is not necessarily productive. That being said, gaming doesn't require the quality of productivity in order to be worthwhile - it's worthwhile in other ways.
Productivity is a shoddy metric for people to rely on when trying to validate their hobby, so as silly it is for someone to try to invalidate gaming because it's not productive, it's just as silly to respond by saying gaming is worthwhile by virtue of its productivity. The problem isn't whether or not gaming is productive, it's that the person is trying to invalidate the hobby (by using crappy reasoning) - ultimately I feel there's nothing really wrong with saying that gaming isn't productive as it's generally true. We don't need to be sensitive about that fact.
"The point isn't that it produces something or that it has value to other people, but whether or not it satisfies and refreshes you."
That's what I'm saying. It's no good to try to defend gaming as productive in order to validate it as gaming is not necessarily productive. That being said, gaming doesn't require the quality of productivity in order to be worthwhile - it's worthwhile in other ways.
Productivity is a shoddy metric for people to rely on when trying to validate their hobby, so as silly it is for someone to try to invalidate gaming because it's not productive, it's just as silly to respond by saying gaming is worthwhile by virtue of its productivity. The problem isn't whether or not gaming is productive, it's that the person is trying to invalidate the hobby (by using crappy reasoning) - ultimately I feel there's nothing really wrong with saying that gaming isn't productive as it's generally true. We don't need to be sensitive about that fact.
When people make comments like that, it's usually an indication that they're not happy with their own lives.
@Stephen - You're still sort of missing my point.
I'm not seeking validation for video games, actually - I expect this attitude from anyone over 55, its just annoying that anyone 40 or under as those are the people that grew up alongside gaming. I just find the notion of invalidating the pastimes of others to be totally disrespectful. Whether its actually productive to society or not is beside the point - any form of recreation or relaxation has its benefits. Those benefits are constructive.
Its how most of the world stays sane. I don't really give a damn if playing Pac-Man doesn't help make the world a better place, but I do find that if I don't get some regular access to my hobbies I start getting a little snippy.
I'm not seeking validation for video games, actually - I expect this attitude from anyone over 55, its just annoying that anyone 40 or under as those are the people that grew up alongside gaming. I just find the notion of invalidating the pastimes of others to be totally disrespectful. Whether its actually productive to society or not is beside the point - any form of recreation or relaxation has its benefits. Those benefits are constructive.
Its how most of the world stays sane. I don't really give a damn if playing Pac-Man doesn't help make the world a better place, but I do find that if I don't get some regular access to my hobbies I start getting a little snippy.
I've had a few customers at my job tell me I should do something productive like "read a book." I immediately asked her, "How exactly is that more productive than a video game?" She responded by saying it was more intellectually stimulating.
Well, shit! How come I've fairly intelligent and I don't read novels?
Well, shit! How come I've fairly intelligent and I don't read novels?
@TSP
No, I do understand your point. The thing is that you spent roughly the first half of your blog talking about how video games are productive and therefore worthwhile before you began arguing the point that productivity isn't the sole source of value for a hobby. You can't put your weight behind the latter argument if you find yourself wrapped up in trying to argue that video games are worthwhile through their productivity, as it's essentially consumed by this defensive need to prove the hobby as valid on false grounds.
No, I do understand your point. The thing is that you spent roughly the first half of your blog talking about how video games are productive and therefore worthwhile before you began arguing the point that productivity isn't the sole source of value for a hobby. You can't put your weight behind the latter argument if you find yourself wrapped up in trying to argue that video games are worthwhile through their productivity, as it's essentially consumed by this defensive need to prove the hobby as valid on false grounds.
@Stephen Beirne
To be fair, he's more explaining why it is productive, rather than trying to justify it. Then he justifies why it doesn't matter.
To be fair, he's more explaining why it is productive, rather than trying to justify it. Then he justifies why it doesn't matter.
oh hey byronic changed his name on here. weird times. nice post, though. i enjoyed the sentiment even if byronic has a point
