Preferring Games To TV.

[jayseven]

I play xbox most nights from about 7-10, maybe 30 mins earlier, maybe 30 mins later. 3-4 hours a night if I'm lucky, but usually at least 2. Last night I started at 7.30 and finished before 9.30 and my cousin acted with mock surprise at seeing me away from the xbox. I mimed conviviality, and sat down in front of the TV with her for 20 mins.

 

She had been in front of the TV since before 3pm. She took a break for dinner, but returned to the TV. Easily six hours the nights she's in. Her dad also frowns down upon gaming, yet you will find him in front of the tv 'to relax'.

 

So why is it so bad to choose to game? At least I'm not dealing with commercials all the time (and may that cancer cease spreading from the dash and into games...) and I'm problem solving and actively using my brain.

 

Recently we (@Cube) were talking about the role of gaming in a relationship. My girlfriend doesn't game, despite my best efforts. She TVs. She also has a downcast view on gaming. I definitely reduced my gaming while she was around - though retrospectively I could've done more. But then... I'd have to watch shitty tv, so why waste my life?

 

To those who live with family and spouses who disapprove; how do you deal with their turned-up noses? Do you argue? Being on a gaming forum perhaps it'd be a little biased a response, but I'll ask; am I right in thinking that TV is worse?

[Dog-amoto]

I live on my own so I can pretty much do as I please. And I go through phases of watching TV or playing games late at night. I haven't spent a great deal of time on gaming in months. But that's probably because I've been catching up on stuff I've always meant to get round to watching (Game of Thrones, Deadwood, Mad Men etc) I very rarely just sit and watch whatever is on TV, it's always a boxset I have on. When a decent game comes out that hooks me, I'll go on that. But the last game to do that was Arkham City.

 

But gaming will have that social stigma of teenage boys in a dark room, wasting their life. I'm sure it was the same when TV was in its infancy. Even as it was in more and more peoples' homes, the older generation who didn't grow up with it may have seen it as a waste of time.

[Coolness Bears]

Weirdly I just wrote this quickly earlier:

 

I have done nothing of merit on this day, I burnt the rice. I left it on for too long as I was too absorbed in an episode of a tv show I was watching on my laptop and didn’t hear the buzzer for the cooker through my headphones. It wasn’t anything particularly gripping just over the top violence and gruesome gore. Not exactly high art but sometimes you just want to see limbs get shred and blood spilt. Every time I watch something like that I always begin to feel useless as if I have failed everyone who knew me and has yet the dissatisfaction to meet me. I’m not just talking about acquaintances but anyone who I pass on the streets. I feel they must be doing more important things with their time at least more important than sitting in their underwear all afternoon staring aimlessly at some form of screen then I start thinking that they are probably not doing more important things and just like me they are at home staring blankly at a screen. Even if they are doing something more important what defines that as being better than what I’m doing and why does that make their existence any more important than mine? just because they are out there in the world. The only difference between me and them is they aren't worried they are wasting they are life and are unaware that they are caught in a mindless stupor not progressing and for that moment in time obsolete.I have decided tomorrow I will go outside (yet another day off) and get out of this rut. It’s not like my attitude or aura as a person will change because of this but at least I can be melancholic in a new setting. All these thoughts will be whirring around my head now, no sleep for me this evening.

 

Which is vaguely on topic. Aside from the spending time on videogames/TV argument. The idea was to explore why some activities are deemed more acceptable as something to occupy us than others and why are some frowned upon like i'm wasting my existence.

 

I have the same problem when people as me what job I want.

 

"But you have to get a proper job"

 

What is a "proper" job?

 

"Yes but you won't get paid as much."

 

...but doing this I may be more fulfilled as a human and feel complete before I exeunt stage right.

 

[The Peeps]

Playing games can be a lot more social than watching TV if you play online. I watch a lot of 'TV' (on my pc, downloaded shows) but most evenings I will be on left 4 dead 2 with my friends. I would much rather play a game than watch TV. The experience is obviously a lot more interactive and, depending on the shows you watch, have a lot more substance to them.

 

I can't get behind the view that playing games is wasting time if the person saying it will sit and watch TV for hours. TV used to be the main thing for 'family time' or whatever and in mainstream social culture it's still completely acceptable.

 

I think people will condemn anything you're doing anyway if it means you're spending time away from them and it's something they don't do/understand themselves. When I was young and the internet wasn't really a thing, I would watch TV a lot (obviously) when I got home from school or whatever. My parents always said I should watch less and that I was wasting time. Now it's the main thing people do and playing games is somehow different and worse. It's a stupid mentality to have.

 

I used to play games competitively online (in internet fan-made leagues) so every afternoon/evening I'd be on, playing my game with my friends (the people in my team) who I would speak to every day - probably more than my IRL friends. That is a completely valid social activity but it is looked down on by most people who aren't into gaming. I wouldn't trade any of the time I spent back then for hanging around with people doing sod all (I had boring IRL friends). These days I have more socially active friends so now I don't have time to play competitively but I can still find time most evenings (late at night) to play l4d2 with people I've known for nearly 10 years now who I've never actually met in real life.

[Ville]

So why is it so bad to choose to game? At least I'm not dealing with commercials all the time (and may that cancer cease spreading from the dash and into games...) and I'm problem solving and actively using my brain.

 

Exactly. Tv is one of the most brain-numbing things you can do' date=' just sitting there passively watching a pre-determined schedule of programming. Wtf. If you read a book, at least you're using your imagination. If you surf on the internet, you're searching, deciding what [i']you [/i]want to watch and when, writing replies / statuses etc. And if you're playing a game, you're doing a lot of things, i.e. being active, solving problems, concentrating, honing your hand-eye coordination, predicting object / bullet trajectories, learning stress management and quick decision making, maybe interacting with other people, and so on and so on.

 

I'd just call them on their bullshit.

[jayseven]

I generally only play games once I've done everything else I'm supposed to do, which is why I don't play 'til after dinner. My cousin can't play games 'til he's done his homework/revision; it's his reward, yet he's made to feel guilty about it which is greatly unfair because my other cousin gets to watch tv all day while doing her homework (the first cousin can't watch tv at the same time, he gets too distracted).

 

@Coolness Bears

 

Unemployed:

"When are you going to get a job?"

 

Part-time:

"When are you going to get a full-time job?"

 

Full-time and part-time job:

"When are you going to get a real job?"

 

If you feel bothered, perhaps put on a suit and take a briefcase for a walk around town. I'm sure plenty of folk you see are doing just that.

[Jonnas]

Exactly. Tv is one of the most brain-numbing things you can do, just sitting there passively watching a pre-determined schedule of programming. Wtf. If you read a book, at least you're using your imagination. If you surf on the internet, you're searching, deciding what you want to watch and when, writing replies / statuses etc. And if you're playing a game, you're doing a lot of things, i.e. being active, solving problems, concentrating, honing your hand-eye coordination, predicting object / bullet trajectories, learning stress management and quick decision making, maybe interacting with other people, and so on and so on.

 

I'd just call them on their bullshit.

 

This is so true. I noticed that one of the few things I watch on TV on school days is whatever is airing during snack time, which is usually a cop show. Unless it's Bones, I always feel like I've wasted my time, like playing Minesweeper, but less rewarding. And if I leave it on, I tend to waste a few more hours with the next programmes (also cop shows. Those things are like crack)

 

I've been prefering shows that make me think, or are otherwise interesting or fascinating (comedy shows being the exception). If I ever feel the need for some reflection at one point, I'm watching the right kind of show.

 

Videogames are like Sudoku at worst, like a good book at best. Much preferable.

Books are on a league of their own.

[Fierce_LiNk]

It really depends on what you're gaming/playing and what you're watching. There's seriously good examples of both, but also terrible entries, such as British soaps.

 

If you were playing a war FPS, like a Call of Duty for 7 hours a day, I could see where maybe you'd get looked down upon. As far as gaming has come, there's still a crowd out there who see it as still "childish" or "aimed at teenagers who just like blowing shit up." But, even these games have their merits. Videogames rely on fast reactions, logical thinking, your ability to be constantly aware of your surroundings/threats, and these days they're quite cinematic.

 

If I were a parent, I'm not sure I'd like to see my kid sat down playing a game or watching tv for 6 hours straight. You need breaks in between to be able to do other things, physical activity, etc. That may be why we're seeing a change towards games being shorter, or being able to play games in quick bursts. There's definitely some logic in there. Even these days, I rarely sit down and play games for 7 hours straight, purely because I don't have the time and there's too many other things I need to do.

 

I've noticed I'm gradually watching less and less television. Mainly because the majority of what I have available to me (freeview) is just shite. The dilemma here is that we have one telly, which means that unless we're playing a game together, only one person can play at the time and the other has to find something else to do. Usually, I'm working out in the bedroom and Ine is playing Zelda or something (she's replaying Twilight Princess), or I'll play Pro Evo or something that I'm working through and she'll use the laptop or her 3DS.

[jayseven]

The "if I was a parent..." line of thinking is a good one. I have experienced that mind-mush haze after a 7-hour OCD splurge on Fallout 3, and the shivering frustration at playing online games that can sit at the back of your head. Also the addictive nature of some games creeps in to non-gaming time, and sometimes I feel like saying "alright stop speaking! Stop talking to me. Leave me alone so I can go and play De Blob 2! I just got two more collectibles to find!" and that makes me realise how out-of-proportion I can treat games... if that makes sense?

 

I think gaming and other forms of entertainment should be part of a varied and balanced routine. It's important with kids to make sure they understand that playing games is a treat or a reward rather than an entitlement, and yes - I also agree with people that books are hugely important.

 

TV though? Too commercialised and too much shit (the stuff my cousin watches is stuff I don't want my daughter watching - stuff about fashion and dance moms and princesses. But that's the basis of another thread).

[The Bard]

Give them both a copy of Steven Johnson's "Everything Bad Is Good For You," as a way to explain in a way better than any one of us ever can in person why gaming is actually a pastime that incurs a heavy cognitive load.

[Cube]

I remember arguments (well, not really arguments - they never got loud or anything) with my parents about games. They were like "you shouldn't play games so much. It's bad for your eyes" and when I asked for a suggestion for another activity it was "well...you could watch TV." They never seemed convinced that TV was just as bad.

 

My parents also blamed gaming when it was discovered that I needed glasses (at the age of 16). However, there is a completely different reasoning for why I didn't "need" glasses when I was younger. The eye test that worked out I needed glasses was one where they had different screens. Up until that point there was one set of letters, which I managed to remember when I walked in. And now research shows that gaming can be useful to eyesight.

 

It's all just part of the whole "gaming is bad" thing. Which is something I don't really understand how it continues now that it makes more money than the film and music industries.

[Jonnas]

My parents also blamed gaming when it was discovered that I needed glasses (at the age of 16). However, there is a completely different reasoning for why I didn't "need" glasses when I was younger. The eye test that worked out I needed glasses was one where they had different screens. Up until that point there was one set of letters, which I managed to remember when I walked in. And now research shows that gaming can be useful to eyesight.

 

Lol Reminds me of a cousin of mine who, in class, copied his friends' notes and memorised stuff instead of looking at the blackboard, so nobody realised he needed glasses for a long time.

 

Whenever I get mad/aggressive at anything, my mother blames videogames. I rarely get angry (and most of the times it is because of a videogame), but come on.

She doesn't even seem to realize the irony of an argument that looks designed to anger me further.

 

(Also, props to Jayseven for mentioning De Blob 2. Been playing that myself lately.)

Edited August 23, 2012 by Jonnas

[The Bard]

Don't worry, all the people who didn't grow up playing videogames, all those fuckers who summarily dismiss it as nothing but a junk activity, they'll all be dead soon.

[bob]

Games are bad, mmmm-kay.

 

I wish my girlfriend played games.....very often me and my friend are playing some co-op game, and our girlfriends will come in, and act really condescending towards us, treating us like we're children because we're playing games, and then put on some crappy wedding show like Bridezillas or Don't Tell the Bride.

 

I don't very often get to play games any more, other than with my friend, and we have to find the girls something to do while we do it....

[jayseven]

That's what my girlfriend does bob!

 

Wait-

 

So does that make you the passive-aggressive boyfriend and me the doormat, or is it the other way around? Because I already know neither of us are the cute one.

 

That's a reference to this floating text right here.

[bob]

Is Magnus the cute one then?

 

Given the choice i'll definately take passive aggressive. No-one wants to be a doormat.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Games are bad, mmmm-kay.

 

I wish my girlfriend played games.....very often me and my friend are playing some co-op game, and our girlfriends will come in, and act really condescending towards us, treating us like we're children because we're playing games, and then put on some crappy wedding show like Bridezillas or Don't Tell the Bride.

 

I don't very often get to play games any more, other than with my friend, and we have to find the girls something to do while we do it....

 

You should be just as annoying when they watch the telly.

 

When I was at uni, I was the hero of the house for having a Wii. We spent a looooot of time playing Guitar Hero. It was nice to have the Wii in the living room and being able to play a game with your friends who wouldn't normally play games. We did watch a lot more telly and some films, but Guitar Hero was central to our life.

 

Of course, whenever I wanted to play anything for a prolonged period of time, like Super Mario Galaxy, I had to take the Wii back upstairs. Quite a hassle. Some games really lend itself well to social environments like my house at uni. Maybe if you get your woman to try something that's accessible, she might be more understanding.

 

Or, you can play Trauma Centre and see the arguments unfold. Hectic Co-op to say the least.

[Ville]

So does that make you the passive-aggressive boyfriend and me the doormat' date=' or is it the other way around? Because I already know neither of us are the cute one.[/quote']

 

Haha, you poor fellows : D Sadly, I don't think there's Bridezilla the Game (yet), I mean that way you all could've had some quality gaming time together... yeah right o_O

[Magnus]

There are games based on Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy, for anyone who wants to get their girlfriend with questionable taste in television into video games. Oh, and Project Runway. They're sure to love that.

 

I wish I had a girlfriend.

 

But only for co-op games. No funny business.

[Rummy]

I don't really game anymore, mainly because I spend a lot of time internetting. I tend to internet however, with the TV on. I've almost become addicted to having to have the TV on in the background, and I guess I don't game because I can't have them both with my current setup. Hell, I even had the TV on whilst I was watching thundercats on my computer. I hadn't realised it til now, but I'm a fucking idiot...yet I can't not have it on!

[Jimbob]

I keep getting critized for playing games, and i see nothing wrong with that. I game to relax from a stressful day. I still live with the parents, and all the time they keep critizing that i play too much "Nintendo". To be frank, i have cut down a bit, only playing 2 hours or so every other day.

 

Other than this, i either watch box-sets, movies or the sports.

[Jon]

I don't play games and I don't watch TV in the classic way. I watch shows on my laptop from iTunes so i'm never bothered by the whole adverts. I'm not going to argue which is better for me but I do find myself sometimes engaging with certain characters in shows that have done similar things to maybe i'm trying to do. I obviously know it's not real but motivation doesn't care if it is or not.

[Grazza]

If I was a dictator (which I do often fantasise about), I'd consider banning all TV apart from live events. The Olympics showed how good the medium can be - how it can take you to a stadium or theatre. And - laugh all you like - I love a live spectacular like Eurovision or Dancing On Ice.

 

But then there's the other side of TV - how it's the "default" entertainment; how they show the same old films over and over again. I hate how television can manipulate people into watching something if it's on a main channel and well-advertised. If I was being conspiratorial, I'd wonder if the authorities used TV to control how we feel.

 

As @Ville pointed out, television - as opposed to books, games and the internet - is not about thinking or choosing. There is a lot of talk about TV shifting to the internet. If this happens, I bet there will still be schedules, as a lot of people would get confused about thinking for themselves; choosing what they want.

 

At the end of the day, TV is what it is. I don't want to be a hypocrite, as I do enjoy a well-made programme. People gravitate towards what they like and, to me, the real issue is why anyone was being judgmental towards you in the first place, Jayseven.