Thread: Teens and Video Games

Originally posted by Denbo@Feb 11 2005, 08:29 AM
I personally use video games as an escape sometimes.....

You might say that is bad, but look at the alternatives:

Drinking
Drugs
Cutting
Etc....


They do serve a purpose to some people and you are generalizing with your article....

[snapback]269778[/snapback]

I love playing games, but you must remember, the key to getting it right, is defintly moderation all around. As with drinking, everyone enjoys drinking, going out and being sociable, but there's a line between being drunk, and wasted! Some people use drugs recreationally, thats their choice. I myself as a very keen raver understand this, but through choice of my own, i dont need drugs to carry me through the night. Some people find the only way out of some situations is to cut or hurt themselves. I know of a girl, a very close friend who did the same. her excuse was it made her feel alive,and what real pain was, watching the problems run out of her. Its when it gets to that stage you feel its serious, and you know what they mean.
Personally, my escape is very loud music, however loud, however fast, trancy, hard the music is, its releases me, its something i enjoy and makes me feel better.

Personally, I used to play video games quite a lot...before I was grounded this past October (I'm still grounded, but it's not nearly as big a deal not to be able to play my games anymore).

I don't know that they used to be an escape for me rather than a focus (what I mean is, I was heavily addicted to video games, and played them to the extent that I hardly did anything w/ any of my friends. Because I had played VG (from here on VG is an abbreviation for video games) for so many years, I was (and still am) very lacking in the social skills department, but that is something that I'm trying to fix, working on becoming more social, more able to easily start a conversation w/ people, etc.

In the meantime (the time period during which I've been grounded), I've developed other ways to get away from regular daily activities (like school) such as listening to music (I personally like Nirvana, Led Zeppelin (especially Stairway to Heaven and Immigrant Song), Black Sabbath, and the Black Mages), and practicing on my guitar (I'm not really that good though), which, at times, can, for me, be especially relaxing.

FOOTNOTE: For those of you who don't know who the Black Mages are, have you heard of Nobuo Uematsu (the guy behind (I believe) most of the Final Fantasy music). Well, he has, or at least had, his own band (The Black Mages). They remixed Final Fantasy music. Sadly, he left the band to start another band (Smile Please), so there hasn't been (to my knowledge) any more Black Mages music made in a while...man, that sucks....

Wow!! No comment on the socom I mean Video game thing.. You dont wanna hear my story.

Do tell Chandra!

i recently swore off video games, theyre a waste of time and valuable electricity...i still use the computer though, obviously...atleast this is somewhat educational

video games are fun and addicting. i waste my time with them because i want to relax sometimes after work or something.

Also keep in mind that various games have extremely useful side affects. For instance, after playing years of Diablo 2 and Rogue Spear, I can effectively name any kind of weapon I see in front of me.
Seriously though:
Starcraft taught me analytical strategizing. I have control of 3 out of 7 vespene geysers on a map, and the other players each have 2. I know that I can produce more of the gas-heavy units than they can, so I realize that they will probably produce mineral-heavy units. I pump out science vessels or whatever to combat their herds of marines.
Diablo 2 taught me the importance of specialization and forethought. I have made over 100 characters over level 60. Each one of them began at level 1 with an idea of what I wanted that character to do several weeks down the line. Near the end of my time in Sanctuary, I had 5 complete hammerdins, each one capable of soloing nightmare, and one capable of soloing ANYTHING in hell. It took me 5 tries, but I had made a perfect hammerdin.
Counterstrike taught me teamwork and communication. I know that if I go charging in front of my team, dualies-a-blastin, Im going to get owned hardcore, probably by an awp whore. But if I wait a second and go in with my team after someone throws in a flash or smoke, I (and we) have a much better chance of taking the advantage. I also learned sacrifice and deceit. 2 flashes, a frag, and an AK can make the other team think that everyone is rushing one place, while it is really just me making a lot of noise. Sure, I get owned in the face by a pump, but at that time, my team mate is planting at B with 4 terrorists covering his ass.
Warcraft III taught me the value of my resources and the importance of a perfected, yet flexible strategy.
Hell, early video games taught me the difference between right and wrong, they taught me intuition, and they let me have quality time playin mario with my dad. What exactly is wrong with this? Tell me how a soldier in Iraq, having seen distict realistic tactics in Americas Army is not at a benefit when he knows instinctively the best approach at an obstacle? Tell me how it isnt better for pilots to have been playing the various flight sims religiously? Tell me how it isnt a good thing for people to have a hobby that encourages strategy, timing, and forethought; all qualities lacking in most entertainment? Tell me how watching tv or chatting online can quicken your reflexes or vastly improve hand eye coordination? Most importantly, show me one case where an otherwise normal person became in any way impaired after playing any video game for any length of time?

Almost any hobby can be bad for you if you look hard enough. Football is dangerous, playing the guitar ultimately leads to satanism, going to church turns off your thinking capabilities, watching tv turns your brain to mush, sleeping causes you to gain weight, as does eating. Excersize can lead to heart attacks. Camping can get you lost. Swimming will lead to drowning.

Think before you condemn something that millions of healthy, balanced people enjoy with no detriment to their health.

i am predicting that video games are going to be HUGE. the realism and immersion of today's games are attracting lots of new gamers. todays games are amazing. but it's just the begining. sony recently pattented a technology that stimulates your senses using a device you wear on your head. i'm a little weary of things like that. but there is nothing stopping video games from becoming an alternative and completely convincing 'reality'. we won't control the games using a controller, we will be living the games ourselves. the videogame industry is going to fucking skyrocket. kind of a scary thought, but there is nothing stoppiing my prediction from coming true.

This is a steryoytype, although I myself indulgein games. But they hold a future career for me - and I'll admit that one day when I am a producer of games, when I'm part of a professional team it won't concern me who gets it, but rather, to continue the trends that ahve been occuring so it's popular and well-liked and sells good. It's a passion like anything else.

So sue me.

As somebody who games is his sole passion, I ahve to agree there are steryotypes in the article, but games can lead me to a career, and as a member of a professional team, which I plan to be one day, my concern will be making great content that sells well. Is it a passion just like anything else. Is racing not dangerous? Does being a Priest (in some cases) not entail that sacrifices outside of the norm are made?

Nothing is wrong with video games, but we have to be careful not to allow them to assume peoples lives. My ex boyfriend, spent more time playing video games then he did with me. Actually, whenever we were trying to have a serious conversation on the phone he was playing them. The whole reason why we broke up was because he needed to get his life together, but the funny thing is, he still has time for his video games. I may just be bitter, but people do have to realize the value of video games, versus the value of real life.