What is the is the point of video games?

[ryanwh]

I would like to see exactly what backs up this statement?

A public census and a catelogue of small time crimes since the game came out. Probably a coincedence, but not completely. If you're looking for a chart Im sorry I dont have the kind of "solid(?)" proof one would need for this. The evidence is flawed by the fact that public censuses are flawed. Whatever.

 

[King Moogle]

Personally, I think the purpose of video games is the same as the purpose of movies and music.

Some is mere/pure entertainment, other is art. Neither is better or worse then the other, just... different.

 

[TofuMatt]

Thanks to farming and human ingenuity, a lot of people have (loads of) free time. Some, from what I hear, play video games to amuse themselves because they don't always need to be working. Rock on neolithic revolution - you've given me Mario!!!

Shit man, I play video games for fun. It's like beer, or movies, or pool. For fun.

 

[Wings]

I agree with the majority of the voters here when saying videogames are for entertainment. There are those however that take gameplay to a whole new level and make it an addiction...which isn't healthy imo. My father still plays videogames and he is fourty-eight years old now. He loves them because sometimes there is just nothing else better to do on a Sunday afternoon.

Can people do without videogames? Absolutely. But along with those types of things, people can also do without personal computers, television sets, mp3 players, radios and any other electronic devices that you use for your personal enjoyment. I think most everything electronic isn't entirely necessary as people had been doing just fine previous to the finding of how to harness electrical power. It is all a matter of choosing things that best suit you.

I dropped all of my consoles, games and what have you off with my step-brother a few years ago when I was going through this "stage" you speak of. Now I regret doing so because in my heart I have always been a videogame player, and I'm sure many people here will agree with me. Not to say that you are going to feel the same kind of remorse that I do, but things can and do happen unexpectedly.

Another real life example would be the Nintendo Wizard, Shigeru Miyamoto. I was reading in an interview he did with a press release agency that he rarely plays videogames (even with his own children). His entire mentality is "why play videogames when you can make them?" Well that is kind of the sole purpose of this community is it not? If you want to study to be a game designer and create these things that people enjoy playing, then more power to you. If you wish to drop playing videogames completely, then so be it...it is your decision.

There is more to life than playing videogames, and there is also more to life than to not play these games. Everything is done for the experience and enjoyment in the field.

My point being, is that you are never too old to hold a controller in your hand and try to traverse through puzzles and defeat the enemy. I say do whatever makes you smile, and that is exactly what I am doing.

Another example is my buddy Zack. He has a horrable life, his home life is trash and he is waiting desperately to turn 18 and leave it all behind. The way he copes is escaping thru video game. IN STEAD of DEALING WITH IT.

You seem to be missing the most important factor here. He is dealing with it in his own way. Sometimes it is necessary to escape from everyday life to deal with things...even if it is virtual. People escape everyday stresses by going on vacations. How is this any different? Please don't be so quick to misjudge someone else's experiences and ways of dealing with stress when it doesn't match your definition.

It's like beer...

Mmmmm....beer

 

[AceJP]

Hey WIngs, you bring up some very good points!
AS far as my friend Zack, I am walking with him thru his life, I'm not just judging what he does from the outside, but I know him, were budds. Am I condemning him? Not really.
Another example is my life. I found out my mom had 3 affairs as I was growing up, and my parents hated eachother. My life wasn't picture perfect either. Instead of escaping thru video games, I escaped thru not being home and being with girls (sounded like a good things at the time). Point being. I did not learn to deal with it. My family still sucks, but I don't live with them anymore. (Moved out when I left for college)
But there is an upside and a down side to escaping.
Upside- you dont have to deal with it
Down side- you lose relationships because you did not deal with it.

I see what you mean about giving your stuff away. lol
I have done that before with other fads or whatever I went thru, and some times I wished I had it back, other times I just replaced it with another pass time. Moral of the story? I dont think there is one, but I know what you are talking about

 

[The Cry of Fallen Angels]

You cannot deal with everything. Could you have removed this hate between your parents? I doubt it, that often needs people from outside, parents listen to their childeren, but not enough to let them help them with their personal lives. The thing is, you just have to make the best out of it, you did that by going out, your friend by playing computer games, and someone else by something else.
It's just how you look at it. Sugarcoating it may seem wrong, but who cares if it makes you feel better than with " escaping"? You are fooling yourself, but ignorance can be a bliss. Besides, if you feel like it, you can take your friend out sometime to give him a bit more variation.

But about videogames, soley, entertaiment. They're not better, nor worse than movies or books. Just that 12 hours of non-stop reading doesn't give you the headache that gaming does. But seriously, there's a difference between liking them, and being obsessed with them.
As wings mentioned;

There is more to life than playing videogames, and there is also more to life than to not play these games. Everything is done for the experience and enjoyment in the field.

As long as it makes you smile, it's fine Till you get that headache, that is your sign, to stop.

 

[AceJP]

Sugarcoating it may seem wrong, but who cares if it makes you feel better than with " escaping"? You are fooling yourself, but ignorance can be a bliss.

I challenge you to talk to any councelor and ask them their opinion on that philosophy. Could be clergy, or a proffessional.
I am studing counceling for youth at my college (because of my experinces as a youth, and what my friends went thru.), but I dont think you are going to listen to my opinion, so hear some one else out.

 

[Vash]

An escape from real life, that and entertainment.

 

[The Cry of Fallen Angels]

I challenge you to talk to any councelor and ask them their opinion on that philosophy. Could be clergy, or a proffessional.
I am studing counceling for youth at my college (because of my experinces as a youth, and what my friends went thru.), but I dont think you are going to listen to my opinion, so hear some one else out.

In fact, I'm more interested in your opinion then your attempt to silence me.

 

[AceJP]

I'm not trying to silence you, i'm trying to understand you. lol

"Sugarcoating" problems never helps anyone. It's like putting a band-aid on an open wound.
You see, peoples behaviors are shaped due to deep psychological issues. Example.
A child who is treated terribly by his mother, like if his mother alwyas puts him down just to make herself feel better; calling him "stupid," "brat" "little sh*t," "good for nothing" "waste of life," and says to him that he "ruined her life," "killed her fun," and constantly tells him he is worth nothing, and cant do anything right. Then, after this treatement, tells him that "she is not his mother anymore." because she is tired of trying to raise him; will effect him more than you think.
Now this is where the individual has a choice. They can
a) sugar coat- escape thru some method
b) face it and deal with it

If they try to escape, and the issue is never dealt with, they can develop a type of hatred toward women. Why? Because in a childs development there is a special bond between the child and his mother. The mother is the closest woman to a man, besides his eventual wife, in a boys life. When that women, who is supposed to love the child unconditionally, give up, that says to the kid that he is not worth loving.
This makes him not only hate women (to some degree) due to the fact that a woman who was supposed to love him the most treated him like that, then why shouldn't he bleive that most women probably will, right? (remember this is during the development stage of a youth, so these tramas shape opinion for life- if not dealt with)
And they will also not trust women; because the person who was supposed to love him the most gave up. So why wouldn't any one esle?

Now that these opinions are formed, the youth's life will be affected and choices will be made following these warped opinions. Thats sugarcoating, and thats what will happen in this case.
The reason why counceling is such a powerfull tool is because it forces a person to confront these issues from there life and makes them DEAL with it. The only way some one can heal is if they face there problems, and not run away.

 

[Roman Candle]

I was just about write a whole long post on escapism, when it occured to me that it has nothing to do with videogames. So I'm going to start a topic on it, and we can take it all over there.

I don't actually play videogames mcuh, any more. But thery're a form of escapsim just like reading, sports, whatever. Any entertainment can be escapism - tv, theater, paintball, whatever. Games are whatever you make of them, really.

 

[The Cry of Fallen Angels]

I'm not trying to silence you, i'm trying to understand you. lol

Well, then it seems I misinterpreted this sentence.

but I dont think you are going to listen to my opinion, so hear some one else out.

Anyway,

"Sugarcoating" problems never helps anyone. It's like putting a band-aid on an open wound.
You see, peoples behaviors are shaped due to deep psychological issues. Example.
A child who is treated terribly by his mother, like if his mother alwyas puts him down just to make herself feel better; calling him "stupid," "brat" "little sh*t," "good for nothing" "waste of life," and says to him that he "ruined her life," "killed her fun," and constantly tells him he is worth nothing, and cant do anything right. Then, after this treatement, tells him that "she is not his mother anymore." because she is tired of trying to raise him; will effect him more than you think.
Now this is where the individual has a choice. They can
a) sugar coat- escape thru some method
b) face it and deal with it

Yes, in this case, we pick option b. However, it purely depends on the situation. You see, if the child would directly throw insults back at her, it would only worsen the situation. Obvious you think, but that's what many people do when told they should stand up. If this doesn't happen at once, it takes place after trying to tell the mother that it hurts the child. Frustrations and emotions come out in discussions like these.
How do we take care of a stereotypical situation like this? First, we let the child's frustrations out. That's where a friend (for example) comes in. They discuss the child's frustrations and emotions, just so the child can let let a part of it go.
Next, you use an indirect method to adress the problem, a handwritten letter does best. The mother reads it when the child is not around, so that she won't instantly blame the child, but will think what she could've done wrong.

But how do you think the child has to go through the days if he or she is continuesly bothered with the problems? You can stand up and let the frustrations come out, but you really need to calm down before you act, so the frustrations are "pushed away". This is what we call "escapism", the problem solving and escapism can be combined.

Moral? Trying to deal with problems when you're not capable of doing so will only make them worse. That's why escaping isn't always as bad as you may think. Though I'm personally in favour of talking to people you trust about these problems, instead of hiding behind a computer game.