Is gaming really worth it?

Last night the wife and boy went out and I had a few hours solid to play games. I enjoyed that. But it's rare that I have so much time these days. So I play games when I just want to unwind, and I think that's fine.

Yes, to the original poster, if other people are worried about you, then you are almost definitely playing games too much. You should really get out a bit more. You will regret wasting that much time when you're older.
 
more than two hours on a weekday is too much,if you ask me,but if you have nothing better to do,than why not....
 
The harsh reality is that if you do game, somebody or something gets neglected. It's not something you can do except exclusively. When you're gaming you simply cannot do anything else and it shuts you off to the rest of the world. (pushing pause to get a drink does not count as doing something else while gaming)

Moderation is good, but like some of the other posters I'd like to throw out there that its a lot about what type of games you play. Games that transport you wholly into different dimensions inevitably have you thinking about them even when your not playing. Your mulling over it, thinking about your next move or waiting to just get back in the saddle.

Plain and simple its an addiction. Quick gratification games like sports and puzzles etc do offer that addiction as well but you can be satiated much easier and with much less harm and impact on those around you.

As for whether it is a waste of time, highly debatable, but as you pointed out, what have you to show for it? People are using analogies with other things to say if people do that and there is nothing to show for it then its ok, but thats a weak circular argument.

You are onto something here, life simply cannot be about self gratification and escapism. Take a look at any great man who left any great mark on the world and you will find their proportion of "entertainment" (to generalise slightly) to be much lower than the rest of us.

Longing to play a game which makes you neglect reality (as you mentioned in your posts) is certainly detrimental. Don't take the approach of watching TV instead of gaming and thinking that is ok too. Split your time but provide a much greater portion to something that is tangible.

I'm not saying build something to see, but work on something. Anything that enhances your life or others around you (in the reverse order to be altruistic) will see you with greater peace of mind.

No matter how you spin it, your heart is troubled by your current state and gaming just shuts out the thought. You have confronted it and its a lesson to all of us too.

Spend your time searching for the greater truth....its out there, and it will certainly give you something to show.
 
Brawler said:
Its all about the balance and time management.

Try limit yourself to 2 hours a night weeknights, and NO gaming on the weekend. Weekends are for beach / partying / "quality time" with gf etc

As for gaming being worth it, I say hell yeah. I'd much rather being playing Bf2 talking **** over voip and having a good time than sitting behind the TV watching the garbage thats on nowdays like the rest of the world does.
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Im with brawler on this.
My wife lurks and watches tv which I generally dont have the patience to do and I hurl insults at mates on BF2. It all depends on what kind of social aspect a game has in order to be a brain drain or an entertainment experience.

Just dont let it take over your life.Oh and stay away form WoW its for fairies :p
 
Gaming is worth every minute you spend on it

Because guess what

Its for you, and no one else. If you regret "wasting" time on something you enjoyed doing then thats your own fault. But if you enjoyed doing it and feel now that it's a waste of time then move on, do something you think (YOU THINK, NOT OTHERS) is worthwhile and maybe try some BALANCE in life.

I game... but I don't do so religiously. After hitting 70 on WoW I haven't logged on yet (2 days ago already)

Sometimes I go months without playing. And if you ask me what I did with my time, I can't really say, because I wasted it working or doing something I didn't really enjoy.
 
The concept of a waste of time is a difficult one.

It implies that there is some sort of over arching emprative.
I guess it depends what you believe man. At the end of the day, you will decide what is important to you. I play games. I love them. But,there are things that are far more important to me.

Dont stress about it though man, and if you are then take some time out to re evaluate stuff. Decide for yourself what is important, and where gaming can fit in.
 
You could also look at it this way:
When your not playing games (something YOU enjoy)... you are spending time probably working, or basically making SOMEONE else happy.
Your time on this planet is so little that if you dont take that time for yourself (whatever that might be), well then your basically a social robot.
Do what you enjoy now while you can!
 
Cool thread. I game too, but I find balance in my life. As has been said, I'd much rather game than watch TV. TV isn't called the lobotomy box for nothing.

You could ask the same question of TV. Is TV as waste of time. In fact, that's inherently its purpose... most human activities are a waste of time... but you're wasting time in the most enjoyable way... well, hopefully.

It seems like perhaps you are just getting a little jaded. Quit for a while, then come back. IMHO.
 
I spent a long time just playing games, and not writing - now I use the time to write, and occasionally, I'll 'waste' time on a game for a while - but I'm aware that its inherently unproductive (for me).

At the end of gaming, one doesn't have anything tangible to show for ones effort - whereas I'm aware that after a weeks writing, this gives me at least half a theatre play, or 35+ pages on the novel I'm writing.

I suppose it comes down to whether you have a creative/artistic impulse to begin with. If you don't, then gaming is fine coz you aren't going to do anything else with the time - but if you have a creative urge, then gaming can be a destructive influence.

Been writing a big fantasy novel for two months now, and have nearly 350 pages done.
Got an agent waiting for first batch of chapters - and then its up to Fate.

So that's what I have to show for the last little while - when previously I would have been gaming - and have ended up with nothing of any permanence for my energy and time.

The question is, I guess: 'If you have an urge to create something artistic - then perhaps gaming has to take second place to it. Even though gaming is usually a lot more fun than most creative outlets.

Also, since when did life take second place to passively sitting and playing someone else's creation?

What about making/creating your own thing? Or learning some new real-world skill?
Or going on that trip you always tell yourself you'll do one day.
Do something different. Unless a life of no surprises, is enough for you.
In which case; great.
 
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hi my name is white and i am a game addict, i like them so much that i want to play them all at the same time.
 
no seriously,,, i once played games not so long ago from about noon to very early hours in the morning, sometimes it would go right until noon the next day if i was'nt tired.
I had some huge amount of time to kill while waiting to go over seas so it was no biggie to play so much.

the thing is i enjoyed it so much, there is no difference from watching tv, reading, knitting, crafting, gardening or what ever blows some peoples hair back. i think you learn more things playing a new computer game (certain ones) than watching a tv about something u saw many times before.

the only thing i think why you cant play everyday for so long is it really is not healthy for some people, you need to get some sun and excerise,

I leave for new zealand soon, and when i get there its no more gaming on the weekend unless there really is'nt anything to do. i wont force myself to say that there is'nt anything to do.
 
at the end of the day the only difference between you and someone who plays guitar instead of gaming is that their are more people that will see him playing guitar and go "wow" and he has a better chance of making money from something he enjoys. other than that you're both doing something you enjoy.
 
wHiTe*LiGhTnInG said:
no seriously,,, i once played games not so long ago from about noon to very early hours in the morning, sometimes it would go right until noon the next day if i was'nt tired.
I had some huge amount of time to kill while waiting to go over seas so it was no biggie to play so much.

the thing is i enjoyed it so much, there is no difference from watching tv, reading, knitting, crafting, gardening or what ever blows some peoples hair back. i think you learn more things playing a new computer game (certain ones) than watching a tv about something u saw many times before.

the only thing i think why you cant play everyday for so long is it really is not healthy for some people, you need to get some sun and excerise,

I leave for new zealand soon, and when i get there its no more gaming on the weekend unless there really is'nt anything to do. i wont force myself to say that there is'nt anything to do.
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+1

Life isn't always about obtaining something tangible. We are so obsessed with the accumulation of physical objects that we seem to devote most of our time gathering them. Gaming per me is my form of relaxation and the older I get the more relaxation I derive from them.
 
Been following this thread and some of you have some really good points. Many of you are saying "do what you enjoy because life is about your happiness" which is true but you are not considering the situation correctly imo. Gaming usually gives you short term pleasure. Sure sometimes I feel good for a day or two after a hectic dota game or when I finish a game that really makes me think but those experiences are very limited.

Playing guitar has a much higher chance of producing long term positive feelings than gaming. You can reach a wider spectrum of people through music than through games. We feel good if other people appreciate what we can do and gaming doesn't compare to more "normal" hobbies. I see gaming as using drugs (which I'm not opposed to). Doing anything that gives you endorphins is the same as using a drug imo.

I used to be addicted to gaming and still have a tendency to get addicted to a game every now and then. Games give your instant happiness. I have spent countless hours of Diablo 2 and while I enjoyed it a great deal I havent grown as a person because of it. Gaming doesn't develop you as a person as much as socializing does. Lots of things in life are not that much fun in the short term but in the long term they give you a feeling that is much deeper than any game can give you. Learning how to play a new sport might not be that great at the start but once you get it then you can meet so many new people and get a greater sense of achievement than with gaming. Gamers often get stuck in their comfort zone and never leave. Escapism is very common nowadays and gamers are especially at risk.

If you think you might be wasting time with gaming then you are. I regret the hours and hours of dota I have played. I regret not spending that time with friends (in real life).
 
pjoub06 said:
Been following this thread and some of you have some really good points. Many of you are saying "do what you enjoy because life is about your happiness" which is true but you are not considering the situation correctly imo. Gaming usually gives you short term pleasure. Sure sometimes I feel good for a day or two after a hectic dota game or when I finish a game that really makes me think but those experiences are very limited.

Playing guitar has a much higher chance of producing long term positive feelings than gaming. You can reach a wider spectrum of people through music than through games. We feel good if other people appreciate what we can do and gaming doesn't compare to more "normal" hobbies. I see gaming as using drugs (which I'm not opposed to). Doing anything that gives you endorphins is the same as using a drug imo.

I used to be addicted to gaming and still have a tendency to get addicted to a game every now and then. Games give your instant happiness. I have spent countless hours of Diablo 2 and while I enjoyed it a great deal I havent grown as a person because of it. Gaming doesn't develop you as a person as much as socializing does. Lots of things in life are not that much fun in the short term but in the long term they give you a feeling that is much deeper than any game can give you. Learning how to play a new sport might not be that great at the start but once you get it then you can meet so many new people and get a greater sense of achievement than with gaming. Gamers often get stuck in their comfort zone and never leave. Escapism is very common nowadays and gamers are especially at risk.

If you think you might be wasting time with gaming then you are. I regret the hours and hours of dota I have played. I regret not spending that time with friends (in real life).
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There's a lot more gamers out there that will join you in your gaming than those who are going to come and watch you play guitar if you aren't good at it.

Also you can meet new people while gaming. Multiplayer games and lans are great for meeting new people.
 
stefan9 said:
There's a lot more gamers out there that will join you in your gaming than those who are going to come and watch you play guitar if you aren't good at it.

Also you can meet new people while gaming. Multiplayer games and lans are great for meeting new people.
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Lans are a great way of meeting more people like you. But if you do something you don't usually do like join a hockey team you will meet different people who challenge they way you think. I used to have only friends who were just like me but once I discovered how great it is to have completely different friends I've really changed the way I look at other people. Gaming for 2 hours a day is fine but it seems to me people can't stop when they should. One of my friends has been playing dota for 3.5 years now and he still plays 3 games a day.Its not healthy. Sure he meets new people but the people he meets are just like him, hopelessly addicted. But I'm not against following your hobby. I'm just against taking it overboard. Going to a lan every weekend is going way overboard.
 
Really cool thread. Balance is definitely important. When I first got my DSL and Battlefield 2142 I was addicted and it really affected my schooling. But if you can keep yourself in check you won't have any problems. Also if you do anything too much the thrill of it is lost. Now I'm working and I appreciate the spare time I have to pwn people online.
 
I don't have time to go through this whole thread but the title definitely attracted me.

Truth be said gaming has absolutely no long term or even medium turn benefit to playing most games. Its just like watching a movie which provides instant, short term entertainment and does one better, it emerces you in the game by making you the protagonist which is highly entertaining but once its over your are left with only the memory of the entertainment and not much else.

Now on another level, online multiplayer gaming has a whole other aspect to it. Its very social as well as entertaining. Here there are benefits beyond the instant entertainment value, you can make friends that last far beyond the game itself. Its like meeting with a group of buddies and being social together, having a laugh as well as fun.

Above someone compared gaming to playing a guitar which IMO are nothing a like. If you compare guitar to gaming then you are comparing it to watching a movie or even going to the movies... completely different. The only relation the guitar has to gaming is that it is something you can do to spend your time.
 
Good points all

I think what many of us are getting at is that while games are awesome, their detachment from reality makes them ultimatly unfulfilling. When compared to far more mundain hobbies like knitting and gardening, gaming actually comes in second in terms of providing a sense of fulfillment.

So, I encourage gaming, but also, I think its important to do stuff that will ultimatly leave you with a deaper desense of acomplishment.

I also play in a band, and playing our songs to 50 or 100 people, or hearing the final mix of a recording that has taken weeks gives me a deeper sense of pleasure than any game ever has. (shameless plug - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Danceyoureonfire/9065751199?ref=ts )

I am lucky though, my career requires that I play games. Gaming in a way pays my bills :P So it kinda does feel like Im investing in my career when I spend 4 straight hours playing COD4 online
 
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