Video Games - good or evil? (Xbox 360, serial, Sport, create)

[TKramar]

Originally Posted by Radek

Please remember my post when I'm the CEO of Cisco or some other ridiculously large networking company, and I shall try to remember this forum at this point in time because I'm sure that my life will be so ridiculously busy and stressful, and I won't really have a life... but, we can all blame the video games... right?

Well...it didn't quote the part I wanted to address. Zork I was a "computer game" just as PONG, Intellivision, and the Atari 2600 were...and saying 30 years ago is just about right...

[Noahma]

This is going to shock the people that think games are bad. lol

We have a family game night, its not your ordinary family game night. Every Thursday night, my dad, my uncle, a few of our family friends, and some older gentlemen (oldest is 67) join in on our rented Call of Duty 4 server, for a bit of fun. I grew up in a very tech savvy home, my dad is a computer programmer, my uncle is an IT guy, family friends and friends of mine were all in the same zone of computer savvy people. Instead of going to the park with my dad to throw a football, we would shoot each other down for hours in Falcon 4.0. I grew up completely normal, I have a wonderfully wife, and a 2 year old daughter. I am not some social outcast that some think you turn into when you play games. I am valued in my office due to my knowledge of computers and how they work, not just for my Architectural knowhow. Computers are the future, and if you dont get into them young, you will be out of the loop. Computer games have been pr oven to help develop better hand / eye coordination, better logic and reasoning skills. And you can actually meet some great people in some of these games. I forged some GREAT friendships playing some of the MMO's over the years, which I am still friends with and can meet occasionally for dinner or coffee (at least the ones in this country and state)

[magnusiax]

video games is bad if it affects your time,,..and your study..

[Noahma]

Originally Posted by magnusiax

video games is bad if it affects your time,,..and your study..

I managed to get married, have a child, and finish Architecture school. Did not affect my time, or my studys at all.....

[jfre81]

So has anyone played GTA4 and then actually run out and killed anyone yet? No?

[cpg35223]

Oh, if you play and are reading this forum, don't take too much away from this thread. Because, essentially, all the game addicts are standing around validating each other in the thread--kind of an Gameaholics Anonymous in reverse.

As in: "Hi, I play Doom six hours a day. There's nothing wrong with that, right?"

Chorus of other gamers: "Heck no. There's nothing wrong with you at all."

Rest of world: "What a pathetic man-boy he is. Staring at a video screen all day long blowing away imaginary enemies is nothing less than a criminal waste of one's youth and one's life."

[Rita Mordio]

I don't mind validating the idea that you can be a Game-aholic and still lead a normal and fulfilling life. I don't mind validating the idea that "Gaming" is just the same as any other hobby.

[HsvMike]

Originally Posted by Kuharai

I don't mind validating the idea that you can be a Game-aholic and still lead a normal and fulfilling life. I don't mind validating the idea that "Gaming" is just the same as any other hobby.

I agree, why should "Gaming" be frowned upon? I don't see it being any different than any other time consuming hobby. Some people have hobbies that only take up a few hours a week and some have one that takes up a few hours a day.

Someone might have stated this earlier but why would someone who sticks their nose in a book, for hours at a time, isolated from everyone else be seen as a better hobby than a gamer that can play online games with 100s or 1000s of people? Who is the one that is really being anti-social?

[Noahma]

Originally Posted by HsvMike

I agree, why should "Gaming" be frowned upon? I don't see it being any different than any other time consuming hobby. Some people have hobbies that only take up a few hours a week and some have one that takes up a few hours a day.

Someone might have stated this earlier but why would someone who sticks their nose in a book, for hours at a time, isolated from everyone else be seen as a better hobby than a gamer that can play online games with 100s or 1000s of people? Who is the one that is really being anti-social?

agree completly. I have several hobbies that take up quite a bit of free time. I build 1/35 scale military models, play video games, and still design homes in my free time, spend time with my daughter. I have enough time for all of that.

I did play a very popular MMO game for 2 years, played several hours a day, and on weekends I would join in 6+ hour "raids" on certain areas of the game. I still had enough time for family, and I met some people in this game that I still continue to call friends even though I have never met them in real life, and probably wont (a few are in China, a few are in France and England) I do keep in touch with them through E-mail and a program called Ventrillo, which allows you to actualy talk to them.

[Yac]

So it seems most of us agree that gaming is just another hobby. Can be destructive and can be productive. There are traps waiting for the unaware or weak willed, but imho this is the same with every hobby.
Just remember that real life is more important than getting another lvl in WoW And if your kid grows up to be a homicidal maniac because he played Manhunt and Carmageddon in his youth, it's your fault as a parent. As with movies, games have age limitations and those are for a reason.