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Why Ever Stop Playing Video Games

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Re: Why Ever Stop Playing Video Games

#121

Post by yestoallthat »

2Pacalypse- wrote: post #34

I've been playing a single video game for more than half of my life (I'm 30 now). I've dabbled with other games, but this game and the community around it contributed a lot in making me the person I am today. I don't plan on stopping any time soon. In fact, for the past few years I've shifted most of my free time from playing that game to helping a friend develop cool shit[0] for it, so we can hopefully prolong its l…

The game is the medium, the people are the message. Other people say the same about an online forums, some people might even say it about war. I'm not being snarky, but I thought about it for myself, and the genuinely great memories in gaming I have involve other people, and are equal to other memories involving people. So it's not the games, it's the people, at least for me. Maybe sometimes that can just be the mind of the author who wrote the game, like it can be with a book. But there's always someone, somewhere, in some form.

Re: Why Ever Stop Playing Video Games

#122

Post by anonymoushn »

tradersam wrote: post #106
emodendroket wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't improving at the game an enjoyable end in and of itself? Getting really good at chess has few extrinsic benefits but nobody's embarrassed about it. Why is getting really good at Street Fighter or whatever any different?

I think the difference is chess is more a mental planning game, Street Fighter is muscle memory. (Disclaimer: I'm a huge gamer.)

Fighting games have a large dexterity component, but actual game high level players are playing is very rock-paper-scissors-like. The important skills to win are having a strong understanding of what the payoffs of both players' options are in many situations, predicting your opponent's decisions based on their tendencies, and trying not to be predictable.

Re: Why Ever Stop Playing Video Games

#123

Post by chadgeidel »

lutorm wrote: post #113
laplace2 wrote: post #25

I've found learning and creating to be more fulfilling activities than videogames. That's not to advocate against gaming, or to generalize all games, but I've thought about how much time I spent playing games in the past and if I was happy with what I gained from it: I largely was not. I felt as if I was lacking in skills that I wished I had, and believe I could have learned in that time. I'm happier with myself afte…

I agree, I enjoy playing Civ, but realizing the absolutely astronomical amount of time I've sunk into it and all the things I could have done instead has really turned me off from it. Maybe it's an age thing; once you realize half your life is gone, wasting time like that seems less attractive than it once did.

I'm not sure we should beat ourselves up over what we did in our leisure time. Could we be "better people" by spending our leisure time better? Perhaps. Maybe we just need a break now and then.

Re: Why Ever Stop Playing Video Games

#124

Post by vinw »

saturdaysaint wrote: post #78

One addictive aspect of gaming that the author doesn't mention is how immersive and perhaps addicting a good gaming scene can be. There are people that live and breathe competitive sports, with most people following a few teams, and it strikes me that videogames have way more addictive potential. First of all, the barriers to entry don't include winning a genetic lottery and/or having high level coaching from a young…

Don't think addicting is a word yet.

Re: Why Ever Stop Playing Video Games

#125

Post by pmarreck »

lutorm wrote: post #113
laplace2 wrote: post #25

I've found learning and creating to be more fulfilling activities than videogames. That's not to advocate against gaming, or to generalize all games, but I've thought about how much time I spent playing games in the past and if I was happy with what I gained from it: I largely was not. I felt as if I was lacking in skills that I wished I had, and believe I could have learned in that time. I'm happier with myself afte…

I agree, I enjoy playing Civ, but realizing the absolutely astronomical amount of time I've sunk into it and all the things I could have done instead has really turned me off from it. Maybe it's an age thing; once you realize half your life is gone, wasting time like that seems less attractive than it once did.

At least until you retire. ;)

Re: Why Ever Stop Playing Video Games

#126

Post by logfromblammo »

pikzen wrote: post #90
marcofloriano wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can relate to you. Ten years ago (with 20 yo) i was playing WOW and skipping college. Before that, i was playing competitive Counter Strike and doing bad on high school. Today i look back and think: if i studied and worked more, i would be much far by now. Probably rich. I´m creating an online business where i have to learn and create every day. And yes, i'm very happy doing it and not playing anymore (one year now…

>if i studied and worked more, i would be much far by now. Probably rich. Or not. Maybe at the same place in life. Studies are not as important as a defining criteria for your life as sociocultural group, or class. I wouldn't get too hung up on it if I were you, what's done is done. >What if it paid well to be a Counter Strike player? If you're a pro player, sure, it does. There are regular tournaments with $1m prize…

No, you wouldn't be rich.

Whenever I think that maybe I could have had a better life if only I had done X, it always falls apart on closer examination. It wouldn't have been better, it just would have been different. I still would have been me, and that person just isn't cut out to be independently wealthy, or famous, or influential, or even noticed. In this kind of civilization, I'm a nobody.

In the end, it hasn't mattered whether I was good or bad at my job. The world simply does not care whether I pursue sloth or aresteia. It would have kicked me in the teeth just as hard if I was a driven genius or just a lazy smartass. You leave a lot of opportunities on the table when one of your major life goals is to not be the same sort of exploitative asshole that you have always hated dealing with.

So I have played video games, still play them, and don't feel even an iota of guilt or regret about what else I could have been doing instead. And I read escapist fantasy/sci-fi novels. And I indulge prurient interests. And I eat too much candy, and don't exercise enough. For me, working hard has always paid off about the same as coasting. If ever I lift a finger to do better for myself, someone comes along and eats up my efforts, leaving me with a pile of tasty crumbs. They're nice, but probably not worth all the effort and sense of moral outrage.

If the world wanted me to do more with my life, it wouldn't have filled itself with parasitic and predatory humans.

Re: Why Ever Stop Playing Video Games

#127

Post by cgh »

arcanus wrote: post #92
cgh wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same here, a few hours a week at most. It's nice to drop into an immersive, interactive world now and then and it feels more engaging than most movies. Currently trying to avoid a "High Chaos" rating in Dishonored 2...

Ack, I really need to pick that one up. Been too busy, but the original was a classic.

It's more of the same really except you have a choice of characters. I loved the original as well and I'm enjoying this one a lot.

Re: Why Ever Stop Playing Video Games

#128

Post by dvt »

Guess I might go against the HN grain here. I played Counter-Strike competitively and professional from around 17-22 (I'd say on average 5-6 hours a day). I still play every now and then, but don't compete at tournaments or in leagues. I'm 30 now. Not only was my experience irreplaceable and positive (I made many life-long friends and met many cool people), but it also helped me with many other aspects of "grown-up" life:

- I learned to be goal-oriented and focused

- I learned how to lead and work with a team to succeed at a common goal

- I learned how to weed out shitty people that poison the environment

- I learned what it truly takes and how hard it is to be the top 1% at anything (even at a stupid video game)

- I learned how to negotiate contracts and balance budgets

I think being in the top-tier at anything gives a very specific outlook on things. Playing casually or "just for fun" never really appealed to me as I have a very competitive personality.

Re: Why Ever Stop Playing Video Games

#129

Post by ashark »

gozur88 wrote: post #69
scottmcleod wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"..so I don't allow myself to buy a console." this is common with so many other people I know (and try to convince to game with me as Adults). I think its all too common to watch Nextflix & HBO for 20 hours in a week, but video games are taboo, despite being more social and cognitively enhancing.

The difference is there's no length to most video games. If you sit down to watch a movie you've blocked out ninety minutes (or whatever), and when the movie is over you're not going to tell yourself "I'll just watch for five more minutes." If you're the kind of person who can't ignore that voice you'll end up spending a lot more time gaming than you intended, particularly if your game of choice has some sort of leve…

You also don't suffer for spending 2-3hrs watching a movie then waiting indefinitely before watching another. Even if you're watching a series of movies they were originally released months to years apart, so you'll be fine when you pick it back up—a glance at the Wikipedia summary for the previous entry will do if you feel it's necessary.

With video games, take weeks off and you'll have forgotten the story (if any/relevant) and how to play effectively. At least that's my experience with single-player games—if I take too much time off I just have to start over, because I'll be too bad at it to handle the later stages I'm in on my last save, won't remember enough of the story, and will have lost my connection to the characters.

Re: Why Ever Stop Playing Video Games

#130

Post by meheleventyone »

dvtv75 wrote: post #110
eludwig wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for this. I was hoping someone would cover the obvious: games are fun! Why is that we feel the need to justify fun? Isn't fun (a form of happiness) what we are all striving to be able to have more of?

Sometimes we feel the need to justify fun because it takes away from otherwise productive time we would have had. In the past year, I've racked up more than 400 hours playing RimWorld, well over two weeks just playing that. I'm sure I could have found something more useful and interesting to do than that.

I think considering this as a zero sum exchange is pretty unhealthy. Different activities have very different trade offs. Why is lesuire time considered unproductive? Does everything need to obviously contribute to something you feel is productive? Can lesuire activities contribute to productivity?

Personally I think spending time playing games, reading, watching tv and other activities are essential to remaining productive. Not least because they are all interesting input to consider things in different ways. But also because they give me space.

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