PDA

View Full Version : What do you think of non-gamers?



OpenSourceRules
February 4th, 2009, 03:13 AM
I just got out of computer games thoroughly a few years back, reasons:
1)These are all virtual statistics that aren't going to be useful in real life.
2)Virtual killings (Focus on a clean mind; afflicting pain on any creatures is cruelty.)
3)Time can be spent in much more constructive manners.
4)Totally formulaic (you are bound to get bored sooner or later.)
5)Addiction (I was addicted a few years back; than I shifted my time to something like forums; than to Linux experiment.)

perlluver
February 4th, 2009, 03:16 AM
Meh, I really don't game. I don't see a need for spending hours playing a mind numbing game, when I could be doing something more useful. For Example, helping others on the forum, learning more about Linux, and computers in general.

I get bored really easily with games, and end up deleting them, so no reason to pay for something I won't use in a week.

kk0sse54
February 4th, 2009, 03:17 AM
I just got out of computer games thoroughly a few years back, reasons:
1)These are all virtual statistics that aren't going to be useful in real life.
2)Virtual killings (Focus on a clean mind; afflicting pain on any creatures is cruelty.)
3)Time can be spent in much more constructive manners.
4)Totally formulaic (you are bound to get bored sooner or later.)
5)Addiction (I was addicted a few years back; than I shifted my time to something like forums; than to Linux experiment.)

+1 except I was never really addicted because I've never really been in to gaming. There's just so much more that can be done that I just don't have the time to waste on playing pointless games. Save the money buy a surfboard :D

Grant A.
February 4th, 2009, 03:19 AM
1) Well, duh! Video games are just made to pass time, stats are only important in video games because of the male instinct to dominate. Hence why female gamers are so few and thin.
2) It's just a video game, several studies have disproved the theory that "video games train killers". On top of that, not all video games are about blood and gore. Nintendo makes excellent non-violent video games.
3) The same could be argued about being on these very forums...
4) And once you do, move on to the next video game. ;)
5) If you don't want to play the video games, you don't have to. No one is forcing you.

Fascism is not my thing at all, do want you want to do with your life. I have no right to tell you how to live yours, and you have no right to tell me how to live mine. :)

Note: This constructive and friendly post came from a Halo3 and Turok player. :KS

OutOfReach
February 4th, 2009, 03:20 AM
I've always been into gaming, but not hugely. You know, I'm not addicted but I can still play Gears 2 for 4 hours without noticing, I am very competitive and if I don't get 1 or more kills in a game I keep on playing, it's instinct as Grant A. put it.
I always put gaming on the bottom of my list when I have nothing to do, and even if it is virtual it is still very fun to play.

kk0sse54
February 4th, 2009, 03:29 AM
1) Well, duh! Video games are just made to pass time, stats are only important in video games because of the male instinct to dominate. Hence why female gamers are so few and thin.
2) It's just a video game, several studies have disproved the theory that "video games train killers". On top of that, not all video games are about blood and gore. Nintendo makes excellent non-violent video games.
No, but the vast majority of popular games focus on violence and thus expose many of the youth to the "fun and games" it is to blast someone's head off

3) The same could be argued about being on these very forums...
4) And once you do, move on to the next video game. ;)
5) If you don't want to play the video games, you don't have to. No one is forcing you.

Fascism is not my thing at all, do want you want to do with your life. I have no right to tell you how to live yours, and you have no right to tell me how to live mine. :)

Note: This constructive and friendly post came from a Halo3 and Turok player. :KS

I don't know where you are getting fascism out of this but nobody has insinuated any intentions of forcing you to stop gaming.

Otherwise there's another point regarding gaming (not applicable to a majority) but check out the new obesity statistics for USA, quite interesting indeed...

Grant A.
February 4th, 2009, 03:33 AM
No, but the vast majority of popular games focus on violence and thus expose many of the youth to the "fun and games" it is to blast someone's head off

Um... those games that make it fun to "blast someone's head off" are not recommend, nor legally allowed to be sold to children... M is for "Mature", and stores are not allowed to sell M games to anyone under 18.




I don't know where you are getting fascism out of this but nobody has insinuated any intentions of forcing you to stop gaming.

I just felt my post was a bit pushy, so I tried to clarify that I wasn't trying to "convert" him. :)



Otherwise there's another point regarding gaming (not applicable to a majority) but check out the new obesity statistics for USA, quite interesting indeed...

What are you suggesting? I have a BMI of around 22 and I play video games all the time.

cardinals_fan
February 4th, 2009, 03:44 AM
It depends on what you define as "gaming". I play chess fairly seriously (although go is consuming more of my time lately - I like the strategy!)

I find that I think more clearly after a game of chess or go.

kk0sse54
February 4th, 2009, 03:46 AM
Um... those games that make it fun to "blast someone's head off" are not recommend, nor legally allowed to be sold to children... M is for "Mature", and stores are not allowed to sell M games to anyone under 18.
Even T rated games glorify the act of killing another human being for entertainment



What are you suggesting? I have a BMI of around 22 and I play video games all the time.
The amount of video games played by kids and the lack of exercise that accompanies hours of sitting on a couch has a direct correlation in the obsesity of children. However I also stated that this is not applicable for everybody since there are people that can be very active and still partake in the occasional gaming. The fact of the matter is obsesity among children and just the general American Society is at an alarming level and is ever growing faster due to a combination of factors.

ubdude
February 4th, 2009, 03:49 AM
i thiink tv is more sole destroying than computer games , you have no controll!

wmcbrine
February 4th, 2009, 03:58 AM
I was never an addict, but I agree that modern "cutting edge" games are, by and large, both gory and monotonous, and have been for some years now. But the feeling first hit me way back in the nineties, when I was playing some Defender-like game on an Amiga: "Wow, I'm great at... virtual killing. Do I really want that?" Answer: No. That feeling was solidified when I played "Castle Wolfenstein 3-D", which I think was the first modern "first-person shooter", and the last such game I played.

I am not a would-be censor, although I do worry a bit. I'm just saying, these games aren't for me.

I think the situation is actually improving lately, with a lot more non-violent and creative games coming out, e.g. for the Wii. Perhaps I can finally move on from virtual board games, card games and Tetris. :)

ubdude
February 4th, 2009, 04:00 AM
the only games i have been addicted to!

HOURS OF MY LIFE GONE!

Return to castle wolfenstine online multiplayer and Enemy territory. and maybe gta san andreas with Multi player patch

Grant A.
February 4th, 2009, 04:07 AM
The amount of video games played by kids and the lack of exercise that accompanies hours of sitting on a couch has a direct correlation in the obsesity of children. However I also stated that this is not applicable for everybody since there are people that can be very active and still partake in the occasional gaming. The fact of the matter is obsesity among children and just the general American Society is at an alarming level and is ever growing faster due to a combination of factors.

Well, weight gain is a very varied thing. I do not exercise at all, and eat junk food all of the time, and I weigh 140 lbs. at 5'9", and I concur, video games are not the sole cause. Although the media likes to attack them.

LasherHN
February 4th, 2009, 04:13 AM
I used to play on the SNES for hours :D
PC games I've only been *really* hooked up to Diablo II and starcraft.

I still play starcraft but that's it. And sometimes I play Mahjongg.

kk0sse54
February 4th, 2009, 04:17 AM
Well, weight gain is a very varied thing. I do not exercise at all, and eat junk food all of the time, and I weigh 140 lbs. at 5'9", and I concur, video games are not the sole cause. Although the media likes to attack them.

I would actually say the opposite the media doesn't really report much on it at all. Just because you happen to be 140 lbs & 5'9" means nothing because every person has a different metabolism including also a variation of genetic factors. As for eating junk food, skinny people can have heart attacks too ;)

Icehuck
February 4th, 2009, 04:18 AM
No, but the vast majority of popular games focus on violence and thus expose many of the youth to the "fun and games" it is to blast someone's head off

Parents fault. It's not the game's fault that the parents don't have a clue what their kids do.




Otherwise there's another point regarding gaming (not applicable to a majority) but check out the new obesity statistics for USA, quite interesting indeed...

Parents fault again. Put your kid outside for exercise and get rid of the junk food. Your kid fat? YOUR FAULT. They don't know any better and you are supposed to take care of their health.

If parents stop failing their kids there would not be a problem.

HuaiDan
February 4th, 2009, 04:19 AM
+1 on OP.

IMO gaming is an act of brainwashing or desperation, like training or conditioning for future soldiers. Icky.


Why be a Wii Guitar Hero?? When you can be REAL one for practically the same investment of time and effort??

Dr Small
February 4th, 2009, 04:25 AM
It depends on what you define as "gaming". I play chess fairly seriously (although go is consuming more of my time lately - I like the strategy!)

I find that I think more clearly after a game of chess or go.
Do you play it against a computer or a real opponent? I love chess, but can't stand to play against the computer. It seems like a hopeless battle!

As to the topic of this thread, I play games occasionally. Nothing fantastic nor addicting. Mostly they bore me, as I can always find something more productive to do, such as helping or programming.

Grant A.
February 4th, 2009, 04:25 AM
I would actually say the opposite the media doesn't really report much on it at all. Just because you happen to be 140 lbs & 5'9" means nothing because every person has a different metabolism including also a variation of genetic factors. As for eating junk food, skinny people can have heart attacks too ;)

Shhh.... no dice a mi corazón. ;)

MikeTheC
February 4th, 2009, 04:27 AM
... it's more like, "What do I think of my fellow non-gamers?"

I think they're all just fine and dandy.

And, with apologies to George Carlin, who was only ever once both fine and dandy at the same time, I find gamers tend to be more fine and dandy -- or, at least, more frequently so -- than gamers.

Then again, maybe we all just hate your twitch reflexes.

missbliss
February 4th, 2009, 04:28 AM
I'm not a gamer but playing a sports/racing or some type of skill game w/ friends can be fun.

I particularly like racing games: atv, nascar and the like.



I don't think there is anything wrong with games at all. It's a hobby, like a lot of things. It's not necessarily constructive to play cards, but cards are totally acceptable in society. It's also not real constructive to play golf, but some people would do it every day for hours if they could. To each their own.


And I actually think that gaming can be constructive as it improves hand/eye coordination and some games require critical thinking skills which excercise the brain.

kk0sse54
February 4th, 2009, 04:32 AM
Parents fault again. Put your kid outside for exercise and get rid of the junk food. Your kid fat? YOUR FAULT. They don't know any better and you are supposed to take care of their health.

If parents stop failing their kids there would not be a problem.
While I agree that a lot of parents can do more to be more involved, eventually kids grow up and have to start being pro active themselves.


Why be a Wii Guitar Hero?? When you can be REAL one for practically the same investment of time and effort??
I'm totally against government censorship of things and I definetely don't think games are some great evil but the people that would walk around calling themselves guitar pros after being being able to play a metallica rift on guitar hero are pretty pathetic ;)


Shhh.... no dice a mi corazón.
Tell your heart I don't speak spanish :p

-grubby
February 4th, 2009, 04:32 AM
No, but the vast majority of popular games focus on violence and thus expose many of the youth to the "fun and games" it is to blast someone's head off


So you're saying youths are so stupid they think blasting someone's head off is ok? Maybe if they were 10 or under, but I don't know anyone who plays video games regularly that would actually blow someone's head off ...

Grant A.
February 4th, 2009, 04:38 AM
While I agree that a lot of parents can do more to be more involved, eventually kids grow up and have to start being pro active themselves.

Considering that the parent's job is to prepare the child for adulthood, I can't really see how them not motivating an overweight kid to go on a diet or exercise isn't their fault.



I'm totally against government censorship of things and I definetely don't think games are some great evil but the people that would walk around calling themselves guitar pros after being being able to play a metallica rift on guitar hero are pretty pathetic ;)


It's the parents' duty as guardians to teach their child not to emulate things they see in video games and explain things that they see to them. If some kid emulates something he sees in a video game, it's really his parents' fault for not explaining it to him. Although, if the child was mentally unstable, there is nothing that they could have done.



Tell your heart I don't speak spanish :p

żPor que? ;)

kk0sse54
February 4th, 2009, 04:39 AM
So you're saying youths are so stupid they think blasting someone's head off is ok? Maybe if they were 10 or under, but I don't know anyone who plays video games regularly that would actually blow someone's head off ...

I'm not saying youths are stupid but the fact of the matter is you are seeking direct entertainment through the killing of another human being and to society that's perfectly okay.


Considering that the parent's job is to prepare the child for adulthood, I can't really see how them not motivating an overweight kid to go on a diet or exercise isn't their fault.
Of course they hold fault for it but when you start approaching the age of 15 most kids are able to make their own decisions and through parental support this is really the stage that kids need to be pro active in their life choices.

Grant A.
February 4th, 2009, 04:46 AM
Of course they hold fault for it but when you start approaching the age of 15 most kids are able to make their own decisions and through parental support this is really the stage that kids need to be pro active in their life choices.

Keep in mind that most 15 year olds should be able to handle themselves at that time. One man even accused the Virginia Tech shooter for going on his rampage due to video games... turns out he did not own a single game console. I just really think that people are jumping to conclusions a bit soon here, and it is ridiculous when the parents don't claim responsibility. Most killers are the result of years of ridicule and mental illness, not years of video games.



I'm not saying youths are stupid but the fact of the matter is you are seeking direct entertainment through the killing of another human being and to society that's perfectly okay.


That has been in human history for millenia. The Romans, Greeks, and Mongols used to do the same exact thing. ;)

DirtDawg
February 4th, 2009, 04:51 AM
So you're saying youths are so stupid they think blasting someone's head off is ok? Maybe if they were 10 or under, but I don't know anyone who plays video games regularly that would actually blow someone's head off ...

Are you kidding? Every time I see a turtle, I can't help but jump up and down and up and down on it until it's dead! And whenever I see some bricks with question marks painted on them, it's just second nature to bash my head against them until they break apart!

Needless to say, I spend lots of time at the doctor's.

originalsynthesis
February 4th, 2009, 04:53 AM
since i was once an obsessive gamer, i tend to see them kinda like a smoker sees a non-smoker. a slight jealosy, that these people dont get urges to dissapear into a fake world for several hours at a time. on the other hand, i think playing (this goes for certain types games, of course) games can be a good mental workout, or a source of catharsis.
i dont really game much nowadays though, it seems games just arent as cool as they were in the nineties (some of you are probably thinking "the nineties?! what about the eighties!!!) maybe that's just me, but i also think there has been a drop in quality as the industry has gotten so huge in the past several years. everything's about deadlines, topping that new graphics engine, and multiplayer. what happened to cool plots or original designs?

kk0sse54
February 4th, 2009, 04:56 AM
One man even accused the Virginia Tech shooter for going on his rampage due to video games... turns out he did not own a single game console. I just really think that people are jumping to conclusions a bit soon here, and it is ridiculous when the parents don't claim responsibility. Most killers are the result of years of ridicule and mental illness, not years of video games.
I totally agree it has to do with mental illness



That has been in human history for millenia. The Romans, Greeks, and Mongols used to do the same exact thing. ;)
The Romans also persecuted early Christians, Greeks had slaves, and the various Mongol invasions and successful empires caused widespread destruction. Does that make it right?

RiceMonster
February 4th, 2009, 04:58 AM
I've played a few games extesively, like some of the Zelda games, and Diablo I and II. I hardly game these days; mostly just with my friends. That might change when Diablo III comes out though :D.

cardinals_fan
February 4th, 2009, 05:20 AM
Do you play it against a computer or a real opponent? I love chess, but can't stand to play against the computer. It seems like a hopeless battle!

Usually I play Shredder Chess online. The Hard setting is pretty good. I also wander into FICS occasionally.

MaxIBoy
February 4th, 2009, 05:24 AM
I just got out of computer games thoroughly a few years back, reasons:
1)These are all virtual statistics that aren't going to be useful in real life.
<snip>
4)Totally formulaic (you are bound to get bored sooner or later.)What have you been playing? RPGs?

I'll agree with you that XP-bashing is no fun. That's why I haven't played an RPG (or MMO) in years.

If that was your first experience as a gamer, I don't blame you for quitting. :D

EdThaSlayer
February 4th, 2009, 07:21 AM
Non-gamers find games too complicated. :D

That's why all they can do is complain about em'.
Look at modern day games and the requirements they have.
The difficult plots and items and more combined with the "mumbo jumbo" of monsters and foes, who each have different stats and a different weakness show how complicated they really have become.

Yes, I'm an avid gamer who lives in the Forgotten Realms. :p
Not to mention that I help eradicate terrorists in Urban Terror. :popcorn:

Let all you non-gamers dwell in reality and all it has to offer for I have far greater things to do that go beyond the limits of reality.

Just fyi--it's fastfood that is causing America's obesity problem. :)
In Europe they play games and they aren't as obese(take the UK statistics out and everything will be lean).

networm1230
February 4th, 2009, 07:33 AM
Non-gamers find games too complicated. :D

That's why all they can do is complain about em'.
Look at modern day games and the requirements they have.
The difficult plots and items and other sorts combined with the mumbo jumbo of monsters and foes who each have different stats and a different weakness.

Yes, I'm an avid gamer who lives in the Forgotten Realms. :p
Not to mention helps eradicate terrorists in Urban Terror. :popcorn:

Let all you non-gamers dwell in reality and all it has to offer, I have far greater things to do that go beyond the limits of reality.

Just fyi--it's fastfood that is causing America's obesity problem. :)
In Europe they play games and they aren't as obese(take the UK statistics out and everything will be lean).

All I have to say is Wow! and amazing! that was grate writing

Rokurosv
February 4th, 2009, 07:40 AM
I took a break of gaming for a while but now I'm getting back at it with Tremulous, awesome FPS btw. I've always been a gamer, and gaming has helped me a lot. When I owned a SNES I got Secret of Mana, and it was all in English. It's an RPG so I had to read the directions and instructions and the story but I couldn't do it, so I learned english all by myself just to play that game. After that I've never stoped gaming, until a few months ago cause my computer sucks and I had no console.

Now I'm playing some games and Xbox 360.
I think that playing games that require planning and strategy are helpful, but a couple of shooters once in a while don't hurt.

EdThaSlayer
February 4th, 2009, 08:29 AM
All I have to say is Wow! and amazing! that was grate writing

It seemed my first draft was not clear. After you reread my writing it will be "great".

EdThaSlayer
February 4th, 2009, 08:31 AM
I think that playing games that require planning and strategy are helpful, but a couple of shooters once in a while don't hurt.

Strategy games build up logic and first person shooters hand-eye coordination. ;)

networm1230
February 4th, 2009, 08:31 AM
My firs game console was a super Nintendo. after this experience. I became interested in technology and the benefit of technology out was the negative I think. It all depends on how the technology is used.

To all the non gamers that talk trash about gamers. I have a Question for you all. have you ever set down and picket up a controller? gaming uses quit a bit of mind power dos in it?.

Instead of using punches and kicks to get a point across. We use hour minds instead.

networm1230
February 4th, 2009, 08:36 AM
Strategy games build up logic and first person shooters hand-eye coordination. ;)

That is true about Strategy games

haemulon
February 4th, 2009, 09:20 AM
I've never been much for gaming. I get bored with them rather quickly, find them too difficult and frustrating most of the time.

However I really like looking at the games especially the ones with the fancy graphics.

The mindless graphic blood killer games are a bit offensive.

I think the people who spend hours glued to the TV watching all the trashy shows and comedies are actually is worst shape, at least the gamers are doing something, TV is mostly just mindless rot.

I still play the occasional computer chess (very frustrating also), video poker, mahjongg, pacman, stuff like that.

Games are a good distraction now and then.

rootie
February 4th, 2009, 09:39 AM
strangely enough, games depress me. i'm not even one for human interaction, but playing rpgs fills me with a feeling of desolation. the only rpg i've finished is Final Fantasy 6. I came close with Chrono Trigger. seems to me though that the closer these games come to reality, the further it gets from the fantastic vibrancy that i go for. (hello, virtual soccer, virtual airplane simulation, FFX++.)

maybe this is why i stick to flash games.

diskotek
February 4th, 2009, 11:02 AM
non-gamers are cool...

EdThaSlayer
February 4th, 2009, 02:20 PM
That is true about Strategy games

And it helps you deal with stress.:p
Instead of punching someone for real, why not do it in a game?

Baby Boy
February 4th, 2009, 03:22 PM
It's funny, I can't get into games anymore. When I was a kid, I used to be obsessed with RPGs and other games, spending most of my spare time thinking about gaming and most of the talk with my friends was based around the games we were playing at the time. When I got to highschool I was on my own in this (friends didn't like gaming much at all) but I still pursued with upgrading computer hardware and buying new games. In the last two years I've literally struggled to play any non-casual game but to no avail -- it's not that fun anymore, it's a time-waster and no matter how much the memories of Baldur's Gate II or Torment flush in from time to time, I've realized I'm no longer a gamer. Every single game bores me within 4 hours tops.

zakany
February 4th, 2009, 08:03 PM
I think non-gamers need a hobby. Like gaming.

gnomeuser
February 4th, 2009, 08:26 PM
I used to game quite heavily, started with an Amiga 500 back when I was in grade school. Moved on to PC gaming and then I bought an XBOX for the gaming needs a couple of years ago.

I used to like adventure and strategy games but I have definitely played my fair share of first person shooters. I have been a Strike Force clan member, dedicating hundreds of hours to training, which also left me with life long friendships even after the clan disbanded. I also love the occasional slasher or horror movie. The movies stick, but the games have kinda been let go over the years, mostly for other interests such as my RPG group.

I am however not the slightest bit desensitized to real violence. I think you will be hard pressed to find people more adverse to violence than me, I have never so much as struck a person or gotten in a fight.

Gaming can be a nice social experience, I remember as a kid we used to move machines to each others houses and play games against each other all night.

As for the weight issue, I readily admit that today I am a bit overweight, however at my gaming peak I was at a steady 22 BMI. Today I go to a gym 3 times a week to keep the weight under control and to take care of my body.

When I get children, while I will keep their computer time a bit under control and not let them play violent games till I am certain they have a firm grasp on the difference between reality and fantasy. I will certain not prevent them from having the same positive experiences I have had and I also hope they will play a bit with their old man occasionally.

Dragonbite
February 4th, 2009, 08:41 PM
I just got out of computer games thoroughly a few years back, reasons:
1)These are all virtual statistics that aren't going to be useful in real life.
2)Virtual killings (Focus on a clean mind; afflicting pain on any creatures is cruelty.)
3)Time can be spent in much more constructive manners.
4)Totally formulaic (you are bound to get bored sooner or later.)
5)Addiction (I was addicted a few years back; than I shifted my time to something like forums; than to Linux experiment.)

That's why I prefer table-top games :) There's the whole social aspect and thinking and challenging each other that I don't know if computer games can match. I could be wrong too.

vikramaditya
February 4th, 2009, 08:44 PM
no gamee gamee! takee too long no have time! ;)

eragon100
February 4th, 2009, 09:35 PM
I like violent computer games, and I would prefer it if people wouldn't try to run my life. To the moderators: this thread is not about open-source and might definitely cause some drama: please close :wink:

kk0sse54
February 4th, 2009, 10:44 PM
I like violent computer games, and I would prefer it if people wouldn't try to run my life. To the moderators: this thread is not about open-source and might definitely cause some drama: please close :wink:
That's quite unfortunate that other people are attempting to run your life but I don't know where you're getting that from this thread ;). Otherwise I don't think this thread needs to be closed because that would involve a lot of work to close all the threads in the community cafe not dealing with the open source movement. However some of the present arguement is quite pointless especially since we are on a linux forum and just look at how more than half of all the wine sub forum threads are related to just WoW alone.

ezsit
February 4th, 2009, 10:53 PM
I am not a computer-gamer. I thank them for being the market segment that pushes development and keeps the price of modest computers within reach of normal people. However, computer-gamers are like drug addicts, they waste their time on mind-numbing activities that suck the life and immagination out of their souls.

Mr. Picklesworth
February 4th, 2009, 10:56 PM
I just got out of computer games thoroughly a few years back, reasons:
1)These are all virtual statistics that aren't going to be useful in real life.
2)Virtual killings (Focus on a clean mind; afflicting pain on any creatures is cruelty.)
3)Time can be spent in much more constructive manners.
4)Totally formulaic (you are bound to get bored sooner or later.)
5)Addiction (I was addicted a few years back; than I shifted my time to something like forums; than to Linux experiment.)



Are you going to start a thread about movies and the less tasteful books, too, or is this another completely biased / uninformed jab at interactive computer games simply because they are games that run on computers?

While we are at it... here is a short list, from the top of my head, of video games that are opposites of either some of or all of your claims:


The Witcher (it has SIGNIFICANT depth in storytelling)
World of Goo
Practically anything by Nintendo
Portal
Civilization (and FreeCiv)
Spore (only one here not on my "favourite games" list, but fairly well done)
Worms / Wormux
Myst (or RealMyst). Riven. Myst 3. Myst 4 (warning, may cause head to explode). Myst 5. Uru (which is going open source momentarily).
Sid Meier's Pirates
Sid Meier's Railroads
Ferion (really great web based strategy game)
Toribash - a great sparring game. Made interesting by completely exaggerated decapitations / blood but it's all in good fun. (No different from how a cartoon may depict such things then have the characters return to normal afterwards).
Civilization really deserves another spot in this list.
SimCity
Mirror's Edge
PixelJunk Monsters
MindRover
Little Big Planet


Believe it or not, "Gamers" like those sorts of games. A lot of them put emphasis on creative thinking, puzzles and imagination. I have Ferion on the list because its tick based gameplay does nicely at staying out of a person's way. A few of these games work in a way where one's experience transcends the little closed off environment of the game and faces into the real world.

I think the real issue is just that you preferred the more violent type and so learned to blot the other ones out and thought of them as "not games." It's the only viable explanation I can think of, since there are a lot more tasteful games out there; that list is just from memory.

Please do not stereotype. It's bad enough to stereotype people, but stereotyping a form of presentation is like saying, because it happens that bored / distracted people do a lot of doodling with their pencils, that "all pencil drawings glorify violent explosions and poorly shaped heads. Therefore, people that draw with pencils should be ashamed and I think pencil art should be boycotted. Down with the artists!"

jimi_hendrix
February 4th, 2009, 10:58 PM
I just got out of computer games thoroughly a few years back, reasons:
1)These are all virtual statistics that aren't going to be useful in real life.
2)Virtual killings (Focus on a clean mind; afflicting pain on any creatures is cruelty.)
3)Time can be spent in much more constructive manners.
4)Totally formulaic (you are bound to get bored sooner or later.)
5)Addiction (I was addicted a few years back; than I shifted my time to something like forums; than to Linux experiment.)

1) how is this different from coming home from work and watching TV

2) stress release and last time i checked pixels were not alive

3) that can be said about everything that isnt work. and then if all you do is work you will have no time for anything else

4) arnt sports totally formulaic? i can predict book and movie endings with a high accuracy half way through...so why bother read the book or go to the movie?

5) thats your own problem

i game, but this is normally after school, sports, and work...i dont spend hours staring at zombies

Bölvađur
February 4th, 2009, 11:45 PM
I have played games from 2 years of age, but I never got into gaming until I was 22. What I mean by that is that before 22 year old I might have played games a lot but never understood gaming. After my realization of games I saw computer games are just like chess, bridge and poker.

You could say that chess is just a mindless kill your enemies type of game like most people do, but other's dont see it like that, it is a complicated game and so are most games that are made around gameplay but not having cute graphics.

RTS is quite similar to nonroundbased chess (if anyone remembers ninja chess).
FPS are even more variable in gameplay and requires heavy teamwork and planning. I have often wondered if the top clans might be better trained than the top soldiers in the special forces.
When playing against a good FPS player, pointing and clicking is the least of your conserns.. you may be having speedhack and aimbot but still be badly owned by a decent player.

For me FPS are like handball but with much more chess like attributes. It is about control over your enemy/map/speed of the game.

Anyone that doesnt understand games will claim they are just about killing, even most gamers might share that view in a way... as they arent being payed for understand gaming :)

jimi_hendrix
February 5th, 2009, 12:01 AM
No, but the vast majority of popular games focus on violence and thus expose many of the youth to the "fun and games" it is to blast someone's head off

i only find action games interesting, and i am not a violent person...at all


Otherwise there's another point regarding gaming (not applicable to a majority) but check out the new obesity statistics for USA, quite interesting indeed...actually studies prove that obese children watch tv more than video games

also, i am skinny...

i am not out to make enemies with anyone by picking apart their quotes, just disproving common assumptions

jimi_hendrix
February 5th, 2009, 12:26 AM
Even T rated games glorify the act of killing another human being for entertainment


and what part of the media doesnt glorify this...novels, television, movies, even the news does it



The amount of video games played by kids and the lack of exercise that accompanies hours of sitting on a couch has a direct correlation in the obsesity of children. However I also stated that this is not applicable for everybody since there are people that can be very active and still partake in the occasional gaming. The fact of the matter is obsesity among children and just the general American Society is at an alarming level and is ever growing faster due to a combination of factors.

that is also a parenting problem though...

OutOfReach
February 5th, 2009, 12:43 AM
I agree that television is much more worse than gaming. With television, you don't move at all, literally. With video games you, of course, have to move your fingers a lot, and sometimes you even sweat. Of course this is no substitute for exercise but it is better than just watching television.

cardinals_fan
February 5th, 2009, 01:32 AM
Let all you non-gamers dwell in reality and all it has to offer for I have far greater things to do that go beyond the limits of reality.

I have a very limited imagination.

I agree that television is much more worse than gaming. With television, you don't move at all, literally. With video games you, of course, have to move your fingers a lot, and sometimes you even sweat. Of course this is no substitute for exercise but it is better than just watching television.
I think the difference is more mental than physical.

JordyD
February 5th, 2009, 01:41 AM
I have played teen/mature games since I was 6. I am probably one of the most quiet, non-violent people in my school.

Video games, in my opinion, have far less impact on your personality than peers, the environment you grew up in, and your parents.

When was the last time you heard that somebody killed because games made them mental? I've never heard of it. When was the last time you heard that somebody killed because they were picked on by their peers? In my experience, far more often than the former.

Grant A.
February 5th, 2009, 02:08 AM
The Romans also persecuted early Christians, Greeks had slaves, and the various Mongol invasions and successful empires caused widespread destruction. Does that make it right?

Right is a term that varies from society to society. In some places in the far east eating dogs and cats is common, while in the west it is strictly forbidden.

jimi_hendrix
February 5th, 2009, 03:05 AM
I am not a computer-gamer. I thank them for being the market segment that pushes development and keeps the price of modest computers within reach of normal people. However, computer-gamers are like drug addicts, they waste their time on mind-numbing activities that suck the life and immagination out of their souls.

how are gamers drug addicts?

so jocks who can only think about football are not?

everything is good in limitation

kk0sse54
February 5th, 2009, 03:27 AM
Right is a term that varies from society to society. In some places in the far east eating dogs and cats is common, while in the west it is strictly forbidden.

And hence you have just disproved your original statement ;)


I have played teen/mature games since I was 6. I am probably one of the most quiet, non-violent people in my school.

Video games, in my opinion, have far less impact on your personality than peers, the environment you grew up in, and your parents.

When was the last time you heard that somebody killed because games made them mental? I've never heard of it. When was the last time you heard that somebody killed because they were picked on by their peers? In my experience, far more often than the former.
This isn't a question about the mental impact of video games, since the position has already been well established several times in this thread so I do not understand why it's being continually brought up.

networm1230
February 5th, 2009, 03:37 AM
I've never been much for gaming. I get bored with them rather quickly, find them too difficult and frustrating most of the time.

However I really like looking at the games especially the ones with the fancy graphics.

The mindless graphic blood killer games are a bit offensive.

I think the people who spend hours glued to the TV watching all the trashy shows and comedies are actually is worst shape, at least the gamers are doing something, TV is mostly just mindless rot.

I still play the occasional computer chess (very frustrating also), video poker, mahjongg, pacman, stuff like that.

Games are a good distraction now and then.

will sad! I am a gamer and like to some times look at the games graphics instead of playing the games. video games are a good distraction time to time. just because a person dos not play games dos not mean that they are batter than us gamers. every person in the world has there likes and dislikes.

DirtDawg
February 5th, 2009, 07:11 AM
I am not a computer-gamer. I thank them for being the market segment that pushes development and keeps the price of modest computers within reach of normal people. However, computer-gamers are like drug addicts, they waste their time on mind-numbing activities that suck the life and immagination out of their souls.

Yeah, lousy drug addicts with no "immagination" like Miles Davis, Sigmund Freud and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

maspin
February 5th, 2009, 07:43 AM
What have you been playing? RPGs?

I'll agree with you that XP-bashing is no fun. That's why I haven't played an RPG (or MMO) in years.

If that was your first experience as a gamer, I don't blame you for quitting. :D

Sorry, but a GOOD RPG is not about XP-bashing.. It is about developing a character, and growing through a good story. If you are lucky, the story is one that changes depending on how YOU play it, and can be very different for everyone..

XP-bashing is something that came (mostly) with MMOs.. MMOs are too big, and have too many people for the developers to bother to create a good story. So they use lazy attempts like "Kill X amount of Y" or "Collect X amount of Z by killing Y".

If you ever play a game called Planescape: Torment.. That RPG is much more about character development, interaction and story than combat.. In fact, to play the game just to kill stuff doesn't get you very far at all.

I HATE XP-bashing.. But games rarely ever focus on story anymore.. It seems it is more popular these days to work on violent ways to kill people, than a story that you can be a part of.

MaxIBoy
February 5th, 2009, 07:46 AM
Yeah, lousy drug addicts with no "immagination" like Miles Davis, Sigmund Freud and Jean-Michel Basquiat.+1

Seriously, though, has anyone ever seen a well-done speedrun? Those things are works of art and skill.

mikeize
February 5th, 2009, 08:20 AM
Violence is a part of life. The food you eat is likely the product of some amount of violence, yet few of you would slaughter an animal for food.

Chess is a just a war-game with crappy graphics.

Sports are our "civil-society"'s ritualized violence, an outlet for certain passions which we repress. Not everyone is an athlete however, so maybe games fulfil the same role? For some, just watching sports/identifying with a team is enough.

"War" coverage is quite entertaining, according to the ratings, as are violent movies and television shows.

Violence is interesting and attractive to humans, as our deep-seated survival instincts keep us prepared for "fight-or-flight".

I think that violence, like sex is an issue which we as a society are deeply conflicted about.

There is really no such objective thing as "a waste of time".

Having said that, I'm wary of any game designed by the Army, when recruitment levels are down!

halovivek
February 5th, 2009, 08:45 AM
Till now i never played a single game in linux :(

eragon100
February 5th, 2009, 08:52 AM
Violence is a part of life. The food you eat is likely the product of some amount of violence, yet few of you would slaughter an animal for food.

Chess is a just a war-game with crappy graphics.

Sports are our "civil-society"'s ritualized violence, an outlet for certain passions which we repress. Not everyone is an athlete however, so maybe games fulfil the same role? For some, just watching sports/identifying with a team is enough.

"War" coverage is quite entertaining, according to the ratings, as are violent movies and television shows.

Violence is interesting and attractive to humans, as our deep-seated survival instincts keep us prepared for "fight-or-flight".

There is really no such objective thing as "a waste of time".


Nicely said! :wink: :KS

Calmatory
February 5th, 2009, 12:15 PM
I would love to GAME. I mean, what is better than that? Take group of friends, fight against another group and enjoy.

For me online games are more about social thing than about playing the actual game. I have made dozens and dozens of friends via games, and most of those friends still keep playing. Sadly, I can't. No space for mouse(laptop) nor OS nor hardware capable of running decent online games(Wine sucks, hard time).

I fully understand that games are waste of time, but then again, what isn't? Reading this post is waste of time as well, just as writing this post is.

However, al good games become boring after a time, thats how it is. But friends remain. I even made one IRL friend via online game, though thats just pure luck having such a same kind of a person living almost next to you, and playing the same game at the same time, on the same server and actually getting to chat with him.

I quited "gaming" about an year ago, though I never really was a "gamer", I just played with my friends what we liked to play, when we liked to play and had fun. Then I switched to these damn forums... even MORE addicting than games! I wish I could spend my time coding and fiddling with Linux, but I know I can't. I find them boring after a while, despite the fact that I have been interested in both for years. Guess they just aren't for me. Besides, I need a working PC and internet connection for 95 % of my free time, so breaking a kernel is not fun task to achieve. :|

Dragonbite
February 5th, 2009, 02:47 PM
Oh, does supertuxkart count? If so then my 6 year old is a gamer!

Circus-Killer
February 5th, 2009, 02:52 PM
each to their own. ;)