Video games....bad?

[mattblack04]

There is a lot of debate from people that video games are a bad thing. I agree with them.

See, video games have went from games you could complete in a day or so (sans RPGs) to games that, if you can finish it the first time within a day odds are you wont play it much anymore and not buy newer and similar games, so video game companies make their games longer and more time consuming to master.

Although this does play into the fun factor, it makes us gamers less active. The Wii doesn't help either. True that "nerds" went from books to computers and video games, but games are a lot more addicting, and in effect to a lot of people take away their ability to use imagination on real objects (drawing a mythical creature vs. drawing a human being). Now I will say that this does not happen to everyone, or even to the greater majority, but it does happen a lot.

Video games have become a burden on our parents too. Toys used to be cheap and easily passed from one sibling to another. Not so with video games. They are expensive and usually obsolete within a few years, fan base not withstanding.

On the other hand, logical thought increases. Hand-eye coordination also increases. And, face it, there are games that are simulations, albeit only a few directly, so planning for the future of a project is easier to video game enthusiast.


Without getting to detailed this late at night, I will end by saying I think that the addictive nature of video games and ill side effects of inactivity outweigh the intellectual benefits that is developed from them.

What do you think?

[Tyrazial]

Well, one might call me bias, but I find that saying that video games is bad is... a bit on the err side. Video games help foster creativity. Many video games involve puzzle solving, non-linear thinking, and strategy to complete.

And as for the Wii. I've seen the Wii do amazing things for people. One guy decided to lose weight with the Wii playing Wii Sports. Another kid wrote Nintendo saying his family was getting along more now that they spent more time together playing games.

The Wii is anything -but- a fosterer of inactivity.

Video games can not be bad. No more than they can be good. It is up to the player of the game to determine how far of a psychological affect s/he will let video games have.

[Seil]

The military uses video stimulation (we call it video games) in order to help train troops. We use Flight Simulators in order to train pilots. And yes, they're nice for a rainy afternoon... or a sunny afternoon... or afternoon in general. The point is this: Video games are like anything - coffee, chocolate, monkeys. Each one is potentially addictive, but there's so much more potential to do something good with them.

Video games aren't for everyone, I'll admit - but for the people that do play them, it's nice to know that they can be used as a tool for relaxation. But since so many things have been blamed on video games, as well as gamers *coughJackThompsonVirginiaTechColumbinecough* this happens:

[Squall Leonhart]

Video games are either games, art, toys, bad influence, or whatever you really want it to be. Just as anything, it will be bad if people use them in ways they where not meant to. Like, claiming to have gone on a killing spree because a game "told you so". It might happen, but there are other factors at work, like the person's mental stability, for starters.

A person that knows his/her priorities will also know that there's a time for relaxing and a time for work or school. It just really depends on who's that particular person.

Alcohol is a bad thing if abused, but could easily be a good thing if you know what you're doing.

Video games became longer, yes. But that was only a natural phase. Just like silent films, black & white movies, conventional animation to CGI graphics. Games became more artistic, and thus, required more elements to make them attractive. To give a clear example, compare visual art and narrative of Final Fantasy I for the Nintendo to Final Fantasy XII for the PlayStation 2. There's a big difference.

However, games are not disposable. Sure, they age, they are outdated, but if it's a good game, it's going to be a classic 'till the end of time. I still have the original StarFox on my Super NES and play it every now and then. I was also playing Final Fantasy Tactics on my PlayStation the other day. And I'm quite sure lots of people here are still playing Chrono Trigger. Especially here.

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that you can't fault video games for the lack of will of people. If someone's overweight, it's because they do nothing to get in shape. If people skip classes to finish a quest online, it's because they really don't give a damn about their class work. You really can't blame video games if people are complete idiots.

[CelesJessa]

Originally Posted by mattblack04

...and in effect to a lot of people take away their ability to use imagination on real objects (drawing a mythical creature vs. drawing a human being).

Just out of curiousity, could you expand on this, because I'm confused as to what you're talking about. Playing games takes away your ability to draw a good human being? (Just to clarify)

Toys used to be cheap and easily passed from one sibling to another. Not so with video games. They are expensive and usually obsolete within a few years,

With the recent systems being backwords compatible, games becoming obsolete is less of a factor. But really, toys are just as expensive as they used to be. There was always that "expensive toy" that every kid wanted and it's up to the parents if they want to buy it of not. Nobody's forcing parents to buy video games for their kids. There's still plenty of other toys out there for kids, but I would have to say, a video game would probably last longer than a lot of other toys. I don't know if kids are the same way now, but I would get toys for christmas that I played with for about a week before they disappeared under my bed, never to be seen again.


Just like others said, games can be good or bad, just like anything else. It's how you choose to use them. Games are a great way of hanging out with friends, but my group of friends also spend our time together sitting out in the yard and drawing, going to the park, playing mad libs, playing guitar, going lazer tagging, or many other things. That is our decision, just as much as it's someone else's decision to stay inside and play video games with their entire day.

If I laid in bed reading books all day, I'm being just as active as if I was playing a video game (if not less), but nobody comes up to me and says that books are bad for you.
And video games are just as addictive as anything else. There are many girls who are addicted to tanning booths, who go around and lie so that they can go tan multiple times in a day (very very dangerous). And it can be way more expensive than video games. Depending on what kind of place you're going to, you might be spending over $100 for ten sessions (which is usually the amount of sessions some people will do in a week) But nobody blames the tanning beds for the girls' stupid addiction. (and tanning beds aren't BAD, it's just the way those people use them that makes them bad)

And I think I am more creative because of video games.
I probably never would have learned how to draw if it wasn't for video games. I remember I learned how to draw by drawing Chrono Trigger characters over and over again. And I wouldn't have been interested in writing at such a young age.

Also, I would like to just throw in there that between the lady who works with me on my line and me, I am the gamer and she was the varsity sports-team athelete in high school, and I'm the one who's going to college and she's the one who dropped out of college, is 30+ years old, living with her mom, and going to be working in the factory for the rest of her life. It's not really evidence either way, but it kind of shows that it's not the activities that you do that dictates anything about you or your life.

[mattblack04]

What I mean is that art ability or the ability to see realistic objects, human beings, gets lessened when you play video games for an extended period of time. Your ability to imagine a real person in your head or 100% real circumstances (physics) in a situation gets a bit retarded (slowed, not litereally retarded). However, your creativity and perception change a bit.

For example, look at the overwhelming percentage of video game nerds who think cartoon sex is "hot" and would rather watch that than real life porno. That is when one's perception has changed too much to be healthy. Now I know that all hentai fantasies to not stem from games, but something has to change for gamers to find these drawings of people, who do not look very real at all, hot.


I know video games don't make us zombies incapable of thought. However, extended play dampens our own selves a little, mostly physically and emotionally, and in some cases causes emotional dependence, where people would get angry should they be deprived.

I would, though, like to see the gamer's arguments on simulations outside of actual simulations, such as flight for army, that we are given. How are MMOs, RPGs, FPS, and Platform games simulate anything real life, other than math.

And the Wii...wont help. Other than sports, you can do most games sitting down. If anything, it promotes staying indoors if one things they don't have to go outside for any physical activity. Besides, the most physical activity the Wii has would barely qualify as "warm ups" for exercise. All the Wii is going to do is speed along our carpal tunnel syndrome.

PS, of course i am a gamer, so my arguments are hypocritical, I know.

[Seil]

What I mean is that art ability or the ability to see realistic objects, human beings, gets lessened when you play video games for an extended period of time. Your ability to imagine a real person in your head or 100% real circumstances (physics) in a situation gets a bit retarded (slowed, not litereally retarded). However, your creativity and perception change a bit.

I like to imagine that I'm a writer, and I try to get inspiration any way that I can - so if I look at the storyline of a videogame that I find involcing and interesting, I might sudenly get an idea and write - and yes, I do pause the game and run off to write down the idea.

[Squall Leonhart]

Originally Posted by mattblack04

[...]Besides, the most physical activity the Wii has would barely qualify as "warm ups" for exercise. All the Wii is going to do is speed along our carpal tunnel syndrome. [...]

Hardly

What I mean is that art ability or the ability to see realistic objects, human beings, gets lessened when you play video games for an extended period of time. Your ability to imagine a real person in your head or 100% real circumstances (physics) in a situation gets a bit retarded (slowed, not litereally retarded). However, your creativity and perception change a bit.

For example, look at the overwhelming percentage of video game nerds who think cartoon sex is "hot" and would rather watch that than real life porno. That is when one's perception has changed too much to be healthy. Now I know that all hentai fantasies to not stem from games, but something has to change for gamers to find these drawings of people, who do not look very real at all, hot.[...]

I'm not quite sure I understand, but what I get is that when gamers suspend their disbelief, they become prone to think unrealistically, and thus, embrace a reality different from the one possible. Simply, they perfer fantasy over reality. Let's try to use these terms to avoid further confusion, shall we?

Anyway, video games are an entertainment medium. As such fantasy is present, not only in video games, but in books, comics, movies, cartoons, and any kind of art that one might come across with. Fantasy, the impossible is something we like to see because it's, most of the time, more pleasing to see, to live, than reality. That's why we read books, see movies, tell jokes, draw, paint, write.

And as you state. Impossibly big boobs in unrealistically situations, like knocking someone unconciouss, is kinda hard to make it work, and could be unattractive if done so in a Live-Action set. Sure, you can try, but you'll pretty much making something hilarious than "erotic".

[...]I know video games don't make us zombies incapable of thought. However, extended play dampens our own selves a little, mostly physically and emotionally, and in some cases causes emotional dependence, where people would get angry should they be deprived.[...]

Again, it really depends on who is this person we speak of. Not everyone is as radical as to take games as a drug, and if deprived of for a day, a week, a month, a year, or a decade, most of us rational thinkers will pretty much be living our lives calmly.

[ArlanKels]

It also depends on the video game in question.

Manhunt? Yeah...I can't think of any redeeming qualities on that.
Pokemon? Strategy, albiet basic, and a good introduction RPG for new kids, friendly with colorful art. Nothing really bad about Pokemon whatsoever.


Just because some games should never have been created it doesn't mean that all games are the same.

Also, people MUST have a seperation of reality from fictional existence, as look at people who play games like Battlefield 2. They're in a warzone, fighting tooth and nail with explosions going on around them, shots being fired and allies dashing about. If they couldn't seperate reality from game-reality at least at a subconcious level then they'd be acquiring psychological issues, such as shellshock.

[Xaeta]

Yes, there are pros and cons to video games.

Games do have the ability to get addictive like a drug, and can create a heavy burden on your wallet and social life. However a complication as that depends on the person and how immersed they feel their life should be within video games. Then you have those people who get into fights or even homicides over video games - probably because as competitive as people are, they forgot that it's only a game.

I'm a gamer - not hardcore, but above casual. I feel that games are an elaborate escape from real life but should not be indulged any further than sheer enjoyment to just play. It's when people waste their lives away at a game is when it starts to really become a problem. It boreder's on obsession and all they want to do is play the game. They're imagination isn't quite lost, but is more morphed and molded into the mechanics and pre-set designations of the game that they've become obsessed with.
I can truly understand the marketing approach, and how in-depth games need to be to have appreciation, good ratings, and earn you money; however I do not believe that putting people's lives on pause is the goal of video game developers.

It's just...you gotta balance yourself. Self-discipline is the key to video games not going bad on you.