Pointless Rant of the Day: Gaming

[Chitinous]

Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing actually wrong with gaming; from the pleasure we get from our time spent wrapping the latest supercar around an accurate representation of some tree in Germany's Eifel region to the inexplicable thrill of single-handedly facing down yet another threat to planet and country with naught but a preliminary helicopter ride and ever-so-slightly varied weaponry in compensation, it's all good. Except for when it's really not!

No. My problem is that it has taken the arrival of dual platform titles, for which we must consider personal computers to be one platform and consoles another, to make me realise just how badly gaming burnt the bridges between the two when it migrated to video and earned its trademark.

The thing to remember about game consoles and computers is that the two, for all of their recent hardware and software similarities, find it all but impossible to see port to port, especially when caught coveting each other's mice or controllers!
Public perception and, thus, marketability still separates them. You can cram as much PC architecture into a console case as you like, argue over the merits of running your 360 as a tower system, or share your snazzy monitor and keyboard between them and they still won't be the same; regardless of whether or not they really should be by now.

So, what do I think is holding back their joyous union, and preventing gaming™ from playing the field with the newly licensed 2008 sporting teams, eh?
There is no one thing or, rather, there was but it found the time to breed several other 'one things' before closing its ears to further annoyance like the devoted parent that it surely is. Still, a lot of the work needs to be undertaken by us, the gamers.

There remains much animosity and prejudice, in healthy competition, between the two user bases, for starters. A little pride in what your means, or space in your home, may afford you is a dangerous invitation to corporations; as is a little more disparagement for anything else, regardless of the upgradeability of its graphics card or absence of bizarre Japanese software. Such rivalries stand to benefit computer and console producers alike, never mind that the latter majority build both, fuelling concepts like brand loyalty, word of mouth advertising, and the illusion that to buy their respective product is to support a greater cause (while piloting vehicles and combating armies of course).

Console activists fear terms like 'multimedia', which they believe to be less an industry watchword than some sort of death knell to the power and affordability of their game playing, while computer enthusiasts find that current events (not a million miles from this board) do little to quell their doubts about poor post-launch software support and technological confinement.

We really must wean the console giants off what I call 'arcade thinking' - where the design of every machine is rooted equally in maximised profit and incompatibility with the technology of rivals, doing little to make it hospitable to third-party developers and private users alike - until they grow to see how pointless it is to differentiate between Windows and Live users, for example, as we are all the same. That or persuade Nintendo to claim ownership of the intellectual property rights and issue all other manufacturers a restraining order.

[Scott The Bold]

That would be quite commute

<Scott The Bold

[Ryan44]

Originally Posted by Chitinous

Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing actually wrong with gaming; from the pleasure we get from our time spent wrapping the latest supercar around an accurate representation of some tree in Germany's Eifel region to the inexplicable thrill of single-handedly facing down yet another threat to planet and country with naught but a preliminary helicopter ride and ever-so-slightly varied weaponry in compensation, it's all good. Except for when it's really not!

I'm not an expert on video or PC gaming or of the gaming industry, but I do find something wrong with gaming in addition to your points. My problem is not so much with some of the sex or violence but video gaming's relation to philosophy and theology (to be exact, my problem involves metaphysics, teleology, and ethics.) I couldn't get into the details without bogging my post down in technical jargon so I'll express my view as a journey towards answering the following questions:

1. Is there such a thing as a "good life," a right way of conduct?

2. Does God exist?

3. For what purpose do video games exist and how do they fit in with "the good life"?

4. What is the Christian view towards video gaming?

5. Are there benefits from video gaming?

6. What importance do video games have in life?

7. Are there more important things in life than video games?

8. Are the rewards one gets from video gaming real or illusory?

I’ve come closer in answering some (1,2,4,eight) than I have in others (3,5,6,7).

I’ve reflected on the issue for some time and I’ve even consulted a favorite teacher/philosopher of mine for advice, however, I’ve yet to gauge the overall view in the philosophy and theology fields towards video games (Pope Benedict XVI did make a few comments, however). Perhaps this silence is a sign: these people, whose jobs it is to contemplate existence itself probably find video games to be largely trivial, distracting from man’s higher ends: searching for truth, for the good. My view is a compromise, since I like to play video games but don’t find them to be paramount. It is all right to play video games, even violent games, but in moderation; 360’s, PS3’s, Wii’s and PC games should not become the focus point of your life, as man’s end transcends video gaming.

[Chitinous]

Originally Posted by Ryan44

I'm not an expert on video or PC gaming or of the gaming industry, but I do find something wrong with gaming in addition to your points. My problem is not so much with some of the sex or violence but video gaming's relation to philosophy and theology (to be exact, my problem involves metaphysics, teleology, and ethics.) I couldn't get into the details without bogging my post down in technical jargon so I'll express my view as a journey towards answering the following questions:

1. Is there such a thing as a "good life," a right way of conduct?

2. Does God exist?

3. For what purpose do video games exist and how do they fit in with "the good life"?

4. What is the Christian view towards video gaming?

5. Are there benefits from video gaming?

6. What importance do video games have in life?

7. Are there more important things in life than video games?

8. Are the rewards one gets from video gaming real or illusory?

I’ve come closer in answering some (1,2,4,eight) than I have in others (3,5,6,7).

I’ve reflected on the issue for some time and I’ve even consulted a favorite teacher/philosopher of mine for advice, however, I’ve yet to gauge the overall view in the philosophy and theology fields towards video games (Pope Benedict XVI did make a few comments, however). Perhaps this silence is a sign: these people, whose jobs it is to contemplate existence itself probably find video games to be largely trivial, distracting from man’s higher ends: searching for truth, for the good. My view is a compromise, since I like to play video games but don’t find them to be paramount. It is all right to play video games, even violent games, but in moderation; 360’s, PS3’s, Wii’s and PC games should not become the focus point of your life, as man’s end transcends video gaming.

You have to wonder what the pope thinks of Dance Dance Revolution finding its way into some American physical education classes as a motivational tool against childhood obesity? Though this may represent a yes vote for question five.

I find the concept of an afterlife strangely distasteful but if global force of belief places me in limbo, or equivalent, then let me just go on record as saying that there had better be computer and video games, all that posthumous poetical discussion is going to get really old, really fast!

[Skyei]

You know, as much as I'd love to come across some random mass harmony that sprouted from the bowels of the biggest game companies, I don't think that it's ever going to happen. The consoles and PCs will porbably always be butting rams, however microsoft MAY change that as they grow closer with the xbox 360 media center capabilities. This is nothing big time, though.

Video games in general, if you ask me, are just as much as a waste of time as sports, stamp-collecting, video blogging, and forum-posting.
We play them for fun, a way to escape reality for a bit... and well, mostly for fun. Personally I think they are much healithier than TV because television denies the veiwer the option to think during a program... well, depending ont he program but mostly one is just taking in information. Video games, however urge the player to constantly be invovled in neural activity. This also can vary... (how much thought does it take to hold down the R1 button to blow the crap outta some enemies with poor A.I? But on the other side of the spectrum there are games like Zelda where the puzzles can be infinately involving.)

anyway... bottom line... The Christians, or anyone for that matter, who thinks video games are harmful and should be fruitfully avoided can shove it.
Quite frankly, I was baptised Catholic, and I don't give two craps about what the pope thinks about DDR used in school.

[MiluckyCharms]

i have ADD.

[Chitinous]

Originally Posted by MiluckyCharms

i have ADD.

If you mean Attention Deficit Disorder then you are far from alone, otherwise, you may be the only one here who understands this post? Care to elaborate?


EDIT: Is it a Konami dance title?

[andmill11]

Originally Posted by Skyei

anyway... bottom line... The Christians, or anyone for that matter, who thinks video games are harmful and should be fruitfully avoided can shove it.
Quite frankly, I was baptised Catholic, and I don't give two craps about what the pope thinks about DDR used in school.

I was also baptized catholic (roman catholic accly) seeing as most of my family is from Italy. My grandparents flew to Italy when the pope died (i happened to be in Italy at the time for other reasons) I also happened to be visiting the vatican around the time of them coming. They wanted me to go with them to the ceremony (which i did) and it turned into an 8 hour get-on-your-knees and pray kind of thing. Personally i didnt understand the big deal so i asked them. (translating what i remember from Italian so bear with me) (im asking the questions)

Because he was a religious leader. So hes like a president of this place? No hes not really a president he is here much longer than that. hes been around for many years. So then hes like a dictator? NO NOT AT ALL!

I also happened to come across a "christian view gaming review site" on whether or not certain video games were acceptable to play and if so for what age. What i did not comprehend was how they said it was unacceptable for a child to play Super Paper mario for the wii but its alright for someone 16+ to play gears of war. Their reasoning? In SPM the main boss is a witch and she uses "occult magic". In GOW they said its alright to play because there is an option to turn off the gore/violence/language and because you kill aliens. They said they disliked the killing of aliens but its better than killing humans.

In conclusion i could care less what religion thinks about video games. It has yet to corrupt me.

Also i fail to see how DDR is bad. Dancing around on a pad listening to some catchy dance tunes? It must be a work of the devil..

[Neo-Nihlism]

Originally Posted by Skyei

Video games in general, if you ask me, are just as much as a waste of time as sports, stamp-collecting, video blogging, and forum-posting.
We play them for fun, a way to escape reality for a bit... and well, mostly for fun. Personally I think they are much healithier than TV because television denies the veiwer the option to think during a program... well, depending ont he program but mostly one is just taking in information. Video games, however urge the player to constantly be invovled in neural activity. This also can vary... (how much thought does it take to hold down the R1 button to blow the crap outta some enemies with poor A.I? But on the other side of the spectrum there are games like Zelda where the puzzles can be infinately involving.)

In my opinion television validates existence. Say I was going for a sled ride, that experience would be fleeting and elusive. By tomorrow we'll have forgotten it, and may as well have not even happened. But if we were on TV now, countless viewers would share in the event and confirm it! This ride would become a part of mass consciousness! And on TV, the impact of an event is determined by the image not it's substance. So with some strong visuals, our sled ride could conceivably make us cultural icons!

And video games are still entertainment, but a, fleeting and elusive experience.

[Garko]

Originally Posted by Ryan44

I'm not an expert on video or PC gaming or of the gaming industry, but I do find something wrong with gaming in addition to your points. My problem is not so much with some of the sex or violence but video gaming's relation to philosophy and theology (to be exact, my problem involves metaphysics, teleology, and ethics.) I couldn't get into the details without bogging my post down in technical jargon so I'll express my view as a journey towards answering the following questions:

1. Is there such a thing as a "good life," a right way of conduct?

2. Does God exist?

3. For what purpose do video games exist and how do they fit in with "the good life"?

4. What is the Christian view towards video gaming?

5. Are there benefits from video gaming?

6. What importance do video games have in life?

7. Are there more important things in life than video games?

8. Are the rewards one gets from video gaming real or illusory?

I’ve come closer in answering some (1,2,4,eight) than I have in others (3,5,6,7).

I’ve reflected on the issue for some time and I’ve even consulted a favorite teacher/philosopher of mine for advice, however, I’ve yet to gauge the overall view in the philosophy and theology fields towards video games (Pope Benedict XVI did make a few comments, however). Perhaps this silence is a sign: these people, whose jobs it is to contemplate existence itself probably find video games to be largely trivial, distracting from man’s higher ends: searching for truth, for the good. My view is a compromise, since I like to play video games but don’t find them to be paramount. It is all right to play video games, even violent games, but in moderation; 360’s, PS3’s, Wii’s and PC games should not become the focus point of your life, as man’s end transcends video gaming.

Your questions make it seem your into Nilhism. But, let me say...Virtue needs some cheaper thrills

-Garko