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Is being a gamer a bad hobby?

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Koopakiller

Banned
Lately I've been starting to realize just how much time I've wasted refreshing GAF, hoping for some pre-E3 goodness.

I wonder if the huge time investment of playing games and looking at upcoming games is really worth it. For the most part, aren't games just a waste of time? Have you ever learned anything from a game? Have you ever been inspired by a game? Has a game ever impacted your life in any positive way? They can be fun to play with friends, but for the most part I just see it as escapism - ignoring your real life problems by immersing yourself in virtual worlds.

I'm totally excited for E3 but I can't help but feel that it would be better if I just ignored it. Anyone else feel the same way?
 
I don't think playing video games as a hobby is bad as long as you don't prioritize it over family, friends, special events, school, work, and what nots.
 
botticus said:
I suppose the question is: if you weren't interested in games, what else would you be filling that time with?
Click to expand...

This. Just chill out, come Monday we'll all be sitting with multiple tabs open, hitting F5 and getting completely caught up in E3 hype, forgetting about everything else :D
 
botticus said:
I suppose the question is: if you weren't interested in games, what else would you be filling that time with?
Click to expand...

Chronic masturbation to Hentai?

Gaming keeps me out of trouble and drinking at home instead of bar hoping and sleeping around all the time. Gaming has truly saved my life!
 
Koopakiller said:
Lately I've been starting to realize just how much time I've wasted refreshing GAF, hoping for some pre-E3 goodness.

I wonder if the huge time investment of playing games and looking at upcoming games is really worth it. For the most part, aren't games just a waste of time? Have you ever learned anything from a game? Have you ever been inspired by a game? Has a game ever impacted your life in any positive way? They can be fun to play with friends, but for the most part I just see it as escapism - ignoring your real life problems by immersing yourself in virtual worlds.

I'm totally excited for E3 but I can't help but feel that it would be better if I just ignored it. Anyone else feel the same way?
Click to expand...

Of course games are an escapist's waste of time, but no worse than watching TV or whatever. But the real problem with gaming is that if you let yourself get sucked into it far enough that you're constantly hunched over your keyboard refreshing GAF for news on games that you won't be able to play for 9-18 months, then you're basically wasting your life. Like all of us are.
 
Meh . . . it is just way to entertain yourself like watching TV or going to a movie.

But always remember, all things in moderation. You need to do other things to get out and get some exercise.
 
Define "wasting your life". I happen to think that there are worse ways to spend one's free time - gaming is, at its core, a social hobby. But what, then, isn't a waste? Artistic endeavours? Sure, if you like doing creative stuff, do it - but ultimately it serves no greater purpose than, say, finishing a single-player campaign in a videogame. Sports - the same thing ( although I do think that you *should* excersize just to keep your sanity in check ).

Or then I'm just being a 'sperding nerd who desperately tries to defend gaming as a hobby. I just don't know. :D
 
I found when gaming was my one and only hobby that it really affected my self esteem. The thing about gaming, even while it can produce meaningful experiences, is that it's not productive in any sense of the word. It's important to have other hobbies, particularly something where you feel you gain some reward (whether just learning something or building something or getting in shape, what have you).

In some ways, competitive games can also scratch this itch.

*edit* I just realized I wrote, "gaming, while it can produce... is not productive in any sense of the word". :lol
 
Speevy said:
Are you and AgentWhiskersX conducting a big survey?
Click to expand...
Ding ding ding

Essentially you're asking "why dow we play videogames?" The answer is simple: you and the rest of GAF think they are fun. That's it.

I don't think it's weird to have a healthy interest in a tradeshow btw. If games are your hobby, the E3 is a big event.
 
Lots of weird gamer guilt topics today.

Yes, gaming is a terrible hobby. I sometimes wonder how people who don't spend hours of their life playing games get by. That's a bad thing.
 
Koopakiller said:
Lately I've been starting to realize just how much time I've wasted refreshing GAF, hoping for some pre-E3 goodness.

I wonder if the huge time investment of playing games and looking at upcoming games is really worth it. For the most part, aren't games just a waste of time? Have you ever learned anything from a game? Have you ever been inspired by a game? Has a game ever impacted your life in any positive way? They can be fun to play with friends, but for the most part I just see it as escapism - ignoring your real life problems by immersing yourself in virtual worlds.

I'm totally excited for E3 but I can't help but feel that it would be better if I just ignored it. Anyone else feel the same way?
Click to expand...

most hobbies are a waste of time. that's why they're hobbies and not jobs or 'work'. it's just doing something you enjoy. escapism is common for hobbies. just having fun with a game is a positive impact on your life, and the fact that it can be a social activity makes it all the better.
 
I spend more time here then actually playing games, but I do all that at work so I'm not really giving up anything :lol

Gaming is a great hobby as long as you have other hobbies also. But that can be said about anything
 
Koopakiller said:
Have you ever learned anything from a game? Have you ever been inspired by a game? Has a game ever impacted your life in any positive way?
Click to expand...
Possibly. Parts of A Link to the Past have inspired a love of nature in me, Skies of Arcadia a love of exploration and discovery, and Shenmue a desire to travel around the world.

I may have already been these ways, but at the very least, the games made it apparent to me.

Also, Nintendo games are so fun and well-polished, they generally remind me that life is good.
 
Josh7289 said:
Possibly. Parts of A Link to the Past have inspired a love of nature in me, Skies of Arcadia a love of exploration and discovery, and Shenmue a desire to travel around the world.

I may have already been these ways, but at the very least, the games made it apparent to me.

Also, Nintendo games are so fun and well-polished, they generally remind me that life is good.
Click to expand...

True - games can be uplifting and, yes, you can actually learn about life from them.
 
When I think about gaming in relation to other things/hobbies I could do with my time and money, I realize gaming isn't a bad hobby at all. At times expensive, but worthwhile a large majority of the time.

I find that I'd much rather spend $30 on a game that either I or my girlfriend/friend can enjoy for a period of time than on a case of beer that will last me and/or other people roughly about a week.
 
Koopakiller said:
Lately I've been starting to realize just how much time I've wasted refreshing GAF, hoping for some pre-E3 goodness.

I wonder if the huge time investment of playing games and looking at upcoming games is really worth it. For the most part, aren't games just a waste of time? Have you ever learned anything from a game? Have you ever been inspired by a game? Has a game ever impacted your life in any positive way? They can be fun to play with friends, but for the most part I just see it as escapism - ignoring your real life problems by immersing yourself in virtual worlds.

I'm totally excited for E3 but I can't help but feel that it would be better if I just ignored it. Anyone else feel the same way?
Click to expand...

Nope. You should quit now :)

Seriously, I can think of several other more socially acceptable past times that are more expensive, more intrusive and more destructive than video games.

Golf, for example.

I have friends who are so fanatical about the game that they work all week, hit the range in the evenings, play at least a full day on the weekend, wash, rinse, repeat. They all have children as well, don't see them but for 30-90 min a day, leave their spouses at home, etc. It costs more money, by a HUGE margin, than video games do.

I have friends who are cyclists, gym nuts, etc. All have the same pattern.
 
Koopakiller said:
Have you ever learned anything from a game? Have you ever been inspired by a game? Has a game ever impacted your life in any positive way? They can be fun to play with friends, but for the most part I just see it as escapism - ignoring your real life problems by immersing yourself in virtual worlds.
Click to expand...


Yes - I'd say Braid changed the medium of video games into an art form.
 
Yes, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Seriously though, it's only a 'bad' hobby if (like any other hobby) it dominates your life and leaves no room for an actual social life (gaming communities don't count) or a career.

That's the only time I would be worried about being a gamer.
 
It's as fine a way to waste your life as any. You're a useless piece of meat and then you die. Regardless of how you spend your worthless time, you won't be remembered by anybody important and our civilization will die out anyway, having made no impact on the universe. So just have fun ^_^
 
botticus said:
I suppose the question is: if you weren't interested in games, what else would you be filling that time with?
Click to expand...

Exactly.

Is the other option crack addict? Then you chose well. Is your other option exercise and/or language study? Then no.

This also assumes you have a normal value system. I.e., Epicureans might argue that learning languages (or education in general) isn't inherently valuable. That's a rare viewpoint in modern times, however, and would require a new topic on its own.
 
Being a gamer is a better hobby than, say, recreational meth creation/usage or being a serial killer. Not to say that all three couldn't coexist, but there are worse things than sitting on your ass playing games.

Edit: ffff post above mine snagged my point :(
 
botticus said:
I suppose the question is: if you weren't interested in games, what else would you be filling that time with?
Click to expand...

That is the question. Gaming is a waste of time, but it at least it gets your brain moving unlike tv. But you can't compare gaming to hobbies like sports, exercise, volunteer work, true person to person social hobbies or the arts.

And if you minimize the amount of time doing things like watching tv or playing games then there's no shame in that. Gotta be well rounded.

And yes, I agree E3 is a total waste of time. It's one purpose is to hype people up for games...and there's too much of that already. It's overly commercial, overly corporate and overly manipulative. Crap like gaming mags, ads, commercials and Neogaf does enough hyping stupid pointless games as it is.
 
All entertainment hobbies are a waste of your time, unless you need them for some reason like working in the biz or something.

Though music and movies are much more refined, intelligent and not so time consuming. But as pure entertainment, they do waste your time. It's obvious because you seek them to kill some time.

Stop gaming and you'll find something else to do. It may be even something productive.
 
Koopakiller said:
Have you ever learned anything from a game? Have you ever been inspired by a game? Has a game ever impacted your life in any positive way?
Click to expand...

Absolutely. I can't tell you how many games have changed my outlook on life and/or blew my mind. Hell, I've made important life choices because of something as insignificant as a stage in a game.
 
cosmicblizzard said:
Absolutely. I can't tell you how many games have changed my outlook on life and/or blew my mind. Hell, I've made important life choices because of something as insignificant as a stage in a game.
Click to expand...

Seriously? Care to share?

I guess I don't play video games at a very deep level. The only things I can remember learning from videogames are random pieces trivia and some pointers on how to drive (Gran Turismo was released when I was 15).
 
I felt a bit bad about it before I joined GAF. But now that I have seen how diverse this cesspool really is, I discovered we are more like a compost pile and that we do make worthwhile and interesting contributions to life beyond gaming.

As for benefits, as someone who has the think about biological interactions that are often viewed in a 2D space, I have found that 3D games have given me better awareness on how to think about these interactions and has helped with my research.
 
I don't get to play as much as I use to since I have a thriving career now. I could see how someone with a busy job could consider gaming a bad hobby. I think it's all about balance really. Too much of anything is unhealthy.
 
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