I remember talking about this in philosophy one day. Professor Oliver talked about how he thought it wasn't normal that adults would still rather play video games than do something else that other people their age like to enjoy. I rose my hand and said "I think its fine if they play video games. They're just trying to have fun." Professor Oliver responded with something along the lines of its ok if they play as long as they don't play to much. I agree with this. Just like everything in life you can over indulge. After the class I thought about that for awhile. Why do I play video games? Why do others play video games? I think I came to two different reasons as to why and others play video games.
I think that the first reason and maybe the more obvious one is just cause its fun. Just like when you read a good book you can get lost in that world. I believe it's the same with games. So many different characters and places and things to see and do. Being able to interact with all the things in a whole new world with zero reason to worry is relaxing. I can go anywhere, fight anyone and don't have to worry about getting hurt or ruining anything. Since I got to college I've looked at games differently. Before I just played so I could talk with my friends and not have to be directly with them. Now I look at it in a more therapeutic way. A moment to sit back and relax while escaping from the stress and work of college. Of course I don't self indulge. I don't skip classes and I keep grades up. So I don't see the problem of enjoying video games here and there. A moment to just sit back and escape into a new world with a new life where I can be or do whatever I want.
The second reason is for the competition. A game came out recently called apex legends. It released for free so of course everyone has been getting it. The concept is 60 people in 3 man trios land in a big map and as a circle slowly closes forcing you to the center the last trio standing wins. There's something about dropping in on a big map where 57 other people are all trying to beat you. Then as you get closer and closer to that final really small circle and the squad count goes from 60 to 3 it gets intense. The as you beat that last squad it makes you feel special. As if out of those 57 other people you and your 2 teammates are the best in the lobby. This feeling of victory and want for competition has opened a whole new world of competition in the gaming world. For example EVO. EVO is the super bowl of fighting games. Thousands of people sitting in a arena watching two people play games fighting each other in a virtual world sounds so weird. Why do people like that? Who would pay hundreds of dollars to go watch someone play a game? I believe its all in the competition of who will be considered the best. For example a few years back it was Swedish man with the handle Armada versus and American man with the handle Hungrybox. Hungrybox was known for his consistent placement of 3rd place to 5th place in almost every tournament he went to. in the past 3 years before that he could only get 3rd to 5th. His one goal of being the best was so close to his goal but couldn't get it. Now as he finally had his chance to win with only one person in front of him he could finally get first. The only problem was it was Armada was in his way. Armada was on top and had been for the past few years. He was an obvious win. Armada had to win a 3 of 5 to win. Hungrybox had to win that 3 of 5 to reset the bracket then win another 3 of 5 to win it all and take home first. After an insane first set Hungrybox reset the bracket. Then one the next to take Home EVO champion. Everyone in the crowd was going crazy and HIngrybox ran over to his friend and just cried. The emotion behind such a simple game was insane. I believe this is why people like the competitive gaming seen. This is the philosophy of being the best in something even as simple as a video game.
I commented on Dan Cheevers' Black Hole project and Kayla Schindler's Life on a 8-Bit Farm.
What has captured my attention from your essay is that play about moderation. even good stuff become bad if you do it overly. the secret to success in life is I believe moderation. simply example is of that rain. observed how pored down nicely and in small particle. if it come down abundantly plant may die and life stock cant survive.
ReplyDeleteSam,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your comparison between books and video games. I was never able to get into gaming, yet I love to read. This comparison made me realize that I have been playing mindless games as opposed to those with an expansive story mode. This really puts things into perspective for me because I was always really confused as to how some people can sit and play games for hours. Reading for hours made sense, gaming for hours did not. Your perspective and way of articulating your thoughts has shown me a new light to the gaming world that I had never before considered.
-Julia Hudson
Hey Sam, love the report and I definitely agree. The comparison to books is perfect. I might even go a step further and say that for the competitions sake, its purely a battle of hand eye coordination combined with reading your opponents moves to beat them. Like a game of chess if you controlled all the pieces specific movements in first person. Also quick question, do you play apex on console or pc? I'm a PC gamer and always looking for more people to play with.
ReplyDeleteI'm not against fun, but I do worry that hours spent gaming are hours not spent doing other things that cement our relation to the natural world and widen & deepen our perspective. I think it's no coincidence that the same students who now tell me they never read for pleasure also tell me their preferred recreation is videogaming.
ReplyDeleteSo, again: moderation in all things. There are only so many hours in a lifetime.
melee is a spectacular game that takes a crazy amount of knowledge to master. I mean apart of what makes games like this so impressive is how people have been able to abuse the mechanics of it. the difference of pace in match between competitive play and casual is crazy.
ReplyDeleteI agree that games are stress relievers. I also enjoyed the fact that you can lose yourself into a game similar to how you lose yourself into a good book. If it is socially acceptable to lose yourself into a good book, it should be acceptable to lose yourself in a good game. But we shouldn't rely on games to live.
ReplyDeleteI find this post extremely relatable. Sometimes I don't have enough time to sit down and play games like I would like to, but it is completely relatable to sitting down with a good book. It's not necessarily a time waster like what most people think. When I find good games here and there, that gives me a good story and a good challenge can be,I feel more at peace than ever. I love puzzle solving games which are fun and challenging, but I also love rpg type games that give me the competition that I sometimes need. Sometimes it's just nice to get lost in another story than your own, just like reading a good book, or watching a great movie. Sometimes life just gets to be too much, and you need a break from it. A book, a movie, or a videogame, sometimes, we all just need a break.
ReplyDeletePHIL 1030-010
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with the belief that video games act as a stress reliever, much like many other mediums. Books, television, and video games can all be seen on the same level as mediums meant to help you escape reality for just a little while also helping you maintain some level of sanity in your hectic daily life.
I also believe that video games can carry much of the same moral lessons and hard questions that novels and the like can carry. If it has a good story and makes you think, what makes it so different from a good book or television series?