Are Video Games the BEST form of Entertainment?
#1
Wed, 04/17/2013 - 14:20
Are Video Games the BEST form of Entertainment?
So I was reading the Bethesda letter that said they were moving on from Skyrim to other projects and in it was this line:
"Games are the world’s best entertainment because they can do what other forms cannot – fill you with the wonder of exploration and the pride of accomplishment."
So what do you think? Obviously posting this on a gaming site, there is tons of bias. But we all do other things as well.
I have had this debate with my wife (non-gamer) numerous times and she is still of the opinion that games are for kids and rot your brain. On the other hand, I feel strongly that games can create an amazing experience that you control and participate in.
Share your thoughts...
I say that gaming is a nice hobby but going on real adventures out classes video games all day. Canned adventures are not real adventures.
I'd ask the best entertainment to achieve what? I do different activities to satify different needs. I find video games best when I'm looking for mental interaction, or to watch something similar to a movie but with more mental investment. I read a book when I want to excercise imagination. I use music for different purposes as well; relaxation, stimulation, excitement (IE, not classical when I used to cycle).
As for "rotting the brain", that's been disproven more times in studies in which I found the method to be sound that I generally ignore it now when it's brought up. I just means the person is ignorant about the subject matter. If they watch any form of reality TV, ever, for any amount of time, I may mock them openly on the hypocracy. But I'm an ass like that.
This.
I prefer interaction to vegetative observance...
That said, I prefer the open road on my motorcycle to X-box...
Yeah this is a point I have tried to get her (and others) to see for a while. Even sending her links to articles that demonstrate the exact opposite. But sometimes I think personally she keeps raising the point just to get a rise out of me.
There are other occasions where I do find myself having to dispel these stereotypes with other peope that are quick to dismiss VGs as a waste of time and an endeavour not worth pursuing. But it is good to hear the positive stories as well about hoew games can be good for you.
When I originally posted I was thinking about entertainment to include those passive activities that people often turn to where they want some enjoyment without any participation (books, movies, TV, music). I personally get enjoyment from all of them, but if I had to pick just one, I would say that games are the best. When you think about it, they combine other forms of entertainment (reading dialogue or other written information in game=books, cutscenes=movies, soundtracks=music) but add them together to create unique experiences. Obviously not all games do that, but the games I have come to love do and do it well. When it does come together well (e.g Mass Effect series) it is a thing of beauty.
Thanks for sharing folks, it is good to hear other perspectives and how games are really a part of a balanced life. Never a substitute for getting out and actually living lfe to the fullest.
I prefer sex as my favorite form of entertainment, but that's just me ;)
Not just you.gif "35")
Gaming is just one form of entertainment and I'm with Sherb, think he just about nailed it.
If you think it's good with just you , you should try it with someone else!.gif "136")
HA! I see what you did there...well played sir, well played..gif "1")
( I was gonna go with...)
You should try multiplayer...
I think if you compared other forms in the since of how much it costs, then I think video games are definitely up there.
Borderlands 2: Games $35.00 on amazon, plus $30.00 for add-on content on amazon. I will have over 100 hours into the game
Rays Baseball Game: I spend $40.00 times two for tickets for 3 plus hours of fun, 5 hours if the yankees or sox are in town
Going to a Pistol Range: $400 to $2,100 for cost of fire arm, plus cost of ammo, plus $15 fee to shoot indoors (usally there at least a hour)
2 tickets to Matinee $8.25 each for a couple hours of fun.
Dinner to nice resturant: $100.00 on up for a couple hours.
While I do agree that they are an excellent form of entertainment (and I spend my fair share of time in it), but I have to disagree w/ Bethesda's comment about it being the "only" form to offer the "wonders of exploration" and "pride of accomplishment".
In addition to video games, I also fulfill the "wonders of exploration" when I get lost in a good book (typically either fantasy or sci-fi for me) or a road trip. There are places here in America that can feel like an entirely different world. My last enlightening road trip experience was my road trip last summer, which included a trip through the Badlands and a run through the Redwood Forest on the return leg up the Pacific Coast.
I fulfill a pride of accomplishment everytime I complete a project on the cars, hit the starter, and hear it bark to life..gif "151")
I also get it from the guitars, whenever I'm able to put together a new riff I had been practicing/attempting.
Would it leave a shallow hole in my life if I had to go without video games? Absolutely. However, would my life be meaningless and unfulfilled without them? Absolutely not. It's part of what rounds out my life, but it's certainly not my sole reason for existence.
I do agree that you can get a lot of personal fulfillment out of them for the money.....but I've yet to have a game move me spiritually or emotionally as I've encountered on during some road trips or books.
And yes, for me cars are entertainment...be it a drive or tinkering. It's what I enjoy doing..gif "161")
That's an interesting question. If we narrow down entertainment to mean just TV, Movies or Video games and not anything else that could be considered entertainment, Games certainly have a lot more going for them. TV and Movie watching is passive, games are interactive you can affect the story's outcome or at least explore the story how you want to. However story telling in games is generally speaking much weaker than it is for TV or Movies. You do get the occasional game that does master the story telling bit, but most shooters i couldn't tell you what the story is about, i just run from set piec eto set piece shooting stuff.
So i guess it depends on what you want to be entertained by as to what is best. It would be a very personal evaluation.
The best 20 seconds of your life, right?
I think that Bethesda was complimenting themselves there. As a last DLC to Skyrim, I was disappointed with Dragonborne. In the sense of parting-DLC, ME3's Citadel was spot on.
Yet, I think that the wonder-years of truly satisfying games are dead and burried. Sticking with Bethesda, Skyrim was not really a game that required you to have braincells. And that goes for a lot of modern games that focus on looks more than brains... the new Tombraider certainly didn't require anyone to have more brainpower than needed to keep reflexes like breathing going.
I'm a bit surprised by Bethesda's statement to be honest and maybe it is with an eye to Fallout 4 for which I'm tentavely hoping it will bring some gamer-involvement back into gaming.