Feelings on Video Games


artista
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32 minutes ago, mirkwood said:

No it won't.

Perhaps they have not seen enough real combat then...Then maybe they have and they just cant get enough. I can tell you in my short Iraq tour in my unit we had 1 KIA and 30% WIA (48 wounded).. Freaking mess and it wasnt funny. We were on the winning side of it and thats the result of 166 IED/ Small Arms and coordinated attacks / enemy encounters on our elements, several vehicles totally destroyed. I know the numbers cuz it was my job to keep them for our unit. An additional duty of sorts. This was leading up to and during the surge in late '06 thru 2007.

Made police work look like a joke and I have seen some serious action as a cop. Been involved in a few shootings , witnessed many more, seen a few people blow their heads off in front of me etc. I was desensitized with real life before Iraq and Iraq was an eye opener. I dont know where you work, but Phx area is def a gamer's paradise for the real thing.

Anyway- just my two cents (and thats all its worth). Its my opinion people only get off on killing when there is no consequence. We are raising a generation of people who think its a game. I'd go do it all over again because there are still terrorists out there who need to be killed esp if it meant I could take the place of one of my kids, but the thought of it makes me want to throw up. Thats why these games suck...the combat ones and the others for other reasons. These kids have better things they should be doing.

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30 minutes ago, DoctorLemon said:

My favorites are:

-Metal Gear Solid games (1-5 and peace walker)

-anything with "Tom Clancy" in the title

-Goldeneye 007 (both N64 and wii)

-Batman Arkham City

-The Operative: No One Lives Forever

-Basically anything else involving stealth and sneaking up on bad guys.

If you are concerned about the opportunity cost of playing games, just make sure to do your gaming at hours where you won't be missing out on anything important (the hours between 11 at night and 2 in the morning a couple of times a week is prime time!)  

I personally think there is plenty of value in having some relaxing time and doing something completely mindless and unproductive, so long as it is just some time and not all the time.  I have known people who never relax and have to be super productive all the time, and in my experience, these super productive people are also super miserable.  Getting some real relaxation time in helps you be productive the rest of the time.

If your gaming starts to approach part-time job levels (20 hours or so a week, which translates to 3 hours every day), then it may be wise to think about using time more wisely.  However, I see absolutely nothing wrong with gaming a single digit number of hours per week, and that includes taking opportunity costs into account.

 

@DoctorLemon

Just got my first Tom Clancy game. Good ole Wild Lands.

im all about conquering the world with an army of flesh eating undead! Or with an unstoppable spartan army! The likes found in the many 'Total War' titles.

I never really got into Call of Duty, The OG Medal of Honor games were sweet though!

and of course virtually anything Nintendo. StarFox, Zelda, Mario, super smash bros, Mario cart, etc. I find more joy in beating my siblings in an old fashion race or smash bros battle than in any FPS

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32 minutes ago, Fether said:

@DoctorLemon

Just got my first Tom Clancy game. Good ole Wild Lands.

im all about conquering the world with an army of flesh eating undead! Or with an unstoppable spartan army! The likes found in the many 'Total War' titles.

I never really got into Call of Duty, The OG Medal of Honor games were sweet though!

and of course virtually anything Nintendo. StarFox, Zelda, Mario, super smash bros, Mario cart, etc. I find more joy in beating my siblings in an old fashion race or smash bros battle than in any FPS

Ah yes, I have Wildlands.  Haven't really gotten into the bulk of the game yet, though.  I have been spending time playing through Splinter Cell Blacklist and Metal Gear Solid 5 instead.  I also have The Division awaiting my attention.  Someday I also want to figure out how to play Rainbow Six 3 well

I don't like straight FPS games too much.  Too many of them are like Call of Duty: highly scripted with no real ability to explore (and too often no stealth).  The old Medal of Honor games were better.  

Edited by DoctorLemon
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5 hours ago, MormonGator said:

I wish you the best of luck in convincing others to give up gaming as a hobby. 

I don't have much interest in convincing others to give up gaming. But I do think it's a worthwhile discussion topic, and I'd rather not just see it dismissed in the name of tolerance.

I myself waste very little time gaming, but I waste time in other ways, like internet pursuits (e.g. this forum). I'm willing to admit it and not try to justify myself, and I might even be willing to talk about what I'm doing to try to better myself in that area. So I'm not sure why it's offensive to say, "Video gaming is mostly a waste of time, and I wonder what we can do to help those who waste a significant portion of their lives playing games instead of, you know, dating girls and such."

I have a relative who, before his mission, was the best Halo player I have ever seen. (And I live in Redmond, so I've seen a lot.) It was fun to watch him play online. He would just tear through the other guys, blowing them away literally by the dozens. It was like watching Jason Bourne work a room of bad guys -- unstoppable. But I don't think it was healthy for him in a social way. He's naturally very shy and introverted, and dated very little before his mission. I love this boy with all my heart and would like to see that change when he comes home. But there is a whole dynamic going on here that is much deeper than "shy guy likes to play Halo". I, for one, would love to see a frank admission that most online gaming is a waste of time, and follow up with a discussion of why this happens and what can be done about it -- because in a great many cases, it IS unhealthy.

(By the way, "I'm-the-valedictorian-I-own-my-own-business-I-make-three-million-dollars-a-year-my-wife-is-a-supermodel-astrophysicist-and-I-play-online-six-hours-per-day" really isn't any sort of excuse for excessive gaming.)

(And yes, I realize that having been away from this thread for a few hours means that my post is now hopelessly out of date. Story of my life.)

Edited by Vort
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10 minutes ago, Vort said:

I So I'm not sure why it's offensive to say, "Video gaming is mostly a waste of time"

I don't think it's offensive to say video gaming is a waste of time.  I just want to point out that wasting time in limited and controlled amounts in a manner of your choosing (e.g., video games, reading fiction, watching sports, napping, writing on this forum) is natural, healthy, and conducive to mental well being and productivity the rest of the time. 

Edited by DoctorLemon
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1 hour ago, paracaidista508 said:

Perhaps they have not seen enough real combat then...Then maybe they have and they just cant get enough. 

The guys I know have seen plenty of combat, for example a Phantom Fury marine, I'd say that qualifies for some serious combat experience.  The guys I know don't fall into the second category either.

I wasn't comparing police work to combat.  I've seen plenty of stuff where I work too, but it is a different type of stress/experience whatever term you want to use.  You know what I'm saying.

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On 7/31/2017 at 7:35 PM, artista said:

Okay guys! I need some help. I do not have a healthy or kind view on video games whatsoever. This feeling towards them came from 1) watching my brother play and get super furious and have angry outbursts 2) the talk by David A. Bednar titled "Things as They Really Are" that talks about the virtual world and 3) the statistics I have heard of that a percentage of video gamers tend to be led towards porn. I feel as though it is unproductive. Its a hobby for some, yes. We need hobbies. I guess my idea of a hobby is something that makes you a better person, helps develop talents, ect. In the temple we covenant to give our time & talents to building the kingdom of God. We can do that in millions of ways. My husband plays video games every now and then & I feel so bad cause I turn off. I hate it so much guys and I need help to get some more perspective on this topic. 

The problem with video games, or TV, movies, sports, or any entertainment is that they can and do become distractions from learning about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Anything, including video games, that causes this distraction is bad.  We are taught to hunger and thirst after the Gospel; entertainment can and does distract from this.  It really depends on your mindset when indulging in entertainment.

Personally, I think video games are an absolute, mindless waste of time. You really don't learn much of anything from them. Then again, so are most TV programs, sports, and movies.

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1 hour ago, Vort said:

(By the way, "I'm-the-valedictorian-I-own-my-own-business-I-make-three-million-dollars-a-year-my-wife-is-a-supermodel-astrophysicist-and-I-play-online-six-hours-per-day" really isn't any sort of excuse for excessive gaming.)

(And yes, I realize that having been away from this thread for a few hours means that my post is now hopelessly out of date. Story of my life.)

I'm assuming you are referencing my statement earlier. You are right, a million rights do not justify a wrong. I was making that statement to counter a statement made earlier about how people who play video games are all losers.

but then I did admit later that I probably was still a loser.

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3 hours ago, Ironhold said:

Define "play time". 

I ask as I frequently leave one or more browser games running in the background while I try to get my writing done. If I get stuck on something, I'll do the browser game for a few minutes to clear my head. 

So if you count "play time" as "the entire time I'm logged in", then I can easily beat the people you're complaining about. 

Time spent playing...just being logged on doesn't mean one is actually doing anything. 

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56 minutes ago, mirkwood said:

The guys I know have seen plenty of combat, for example a Phantom Fury marine, I'd say that qualifies for some serious combat experience.  The guys I know don't fall into the second category either.

I wasn't comparing police work to combat.  I've seen plenty of stuff where I work too, but it is a different type of stress/experience whatever term you want to use.  You know what I'm saying.

So the guys you work with have done/ seen enough, they have had enough of it.. I'm assuming the part I'm missing is they are still glued to a call of duty game? I know u were not comparing this to police work you has just responded that a tour in Iraq would probably not cure their fetish with games involving killing. Fair enough...I'm glad it was enjoyable enough that they can still enjoy "cyber slaughter". .ha that's good just made it up.

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4 minutes ago, paracaidista508 said:

So the guys you work with have done/ seen enough, they have had enough of it.. I'm assuming the part I'm missing is they are still glued to a call of duty game? I know u were not comparing this to police work you has just responded that a tour in Iraq would probably not cure their fetish with games involving killing. Fair enough...I'm glad it was enjoyable enough that they can still enjoy "cyber slaughter". .ha that's good just made it up.

A *lot* of people who do "escapism" have faced death in some way, shape, or form. 

I don't kid when I say that the last few role-playing game parties I was a part of were as much about mental health counseling and venting spleen as actual gaming. A lot of us had indeed stared death in the face at least once in some way, shape, or form (when you look at everything I've survived and the sum total of my current health conditions, there's no valid scientific or medical reason to explain why I'm still even alive, let alone able to do what I do on a daily basis), and so knew the score. 

Or the Army Times' rather infamous investigation into the growing Brony culture among the military found that a lot of them were combat veterans who wanted something sweet and innocent to counteract what all they'd seen. 

Et cetra. 

It's a coping mechanism, especially if one finds a network of others among the fandom who have also survived things. 

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5 hours ago, paracaidista508 said:

So the guys you work with have done/ seen enough, they have had enough of it.. I'm assuming the part I'm missing is they are still glued to a call of duty game? I know u were not comparing this to police work you has just responded that a tour in Iraq would probably not cure their fetish with games involving killing. Fair enough...I'm glad it was enjoyable enough that they can still enjoy "cyber slaughter". .ha that's good just made it up.

Sounds to me like you are the one with issues, not them.

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8 hours ago, Ironhold said:

Or the Army Times' rather infamous investigation into the growing Brony culture among the military found that a lot of them were combat veterans who wanted something sweet and innocent to counteract what all they'd seen. 

I had to go look that up...Never heard of it probably since it started up in 2010 and that's when I retired from the army. Yep the army times article stated it was a fb page with 1500 likes. I went and found it and 7 yrs later it has 9500 likes.....looks like a dud of a movement. If I could ever describe anything with the word "gay," that would be it.

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3 hours ago, mirkwood said:

Sounds to me like you are the one with issues, not them.

Uh huh ok. So I think combat games such as call of duty are a waste of time and glorify killing people so that in turn means I have issues? The healthy alternative/ diversion from real live violence and repeated exposure to it (police work) is to play violent role play war video games?

Interestingly (and I don't believe this myself) but there are lots of people out in American society (and some inthis very forum probably) who believe some cops set out to provoke violence and enjoy violent encounters. Like I said, I'm not of that opinion, but after that post I can understand how someone might form an opinion like that. 

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9 hours ago, Jojo Bags said:

The problem with video games, or TV, movies, sports, or any entertainment is that they can and do become distractions from learning about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Anything, including video games, that causes this distraction is bad.  We are taught to hunger and thirst after the Gospel; entertainment can and does distract from this.  It really depends on your mindset when indulging in entertainment.

Personally, I think video games are an absolute, mindless waste of time. You really don't learn much of anything from them. Then again, so are most TV programs, sports, and movies.

Yup, one could consider TV and card games a mindless waste of time too. The occasional wholesome nature TV show like Planet Earth ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Earth_(TV_series) ) can be a good use of time, but most TV shows are not worth my time spent watching them. Including BYU TV's Granite Flat's... I watched every episode and I'm wishing I hadn't, it was a waste of time. Thanks everybody, I will take a long hard look at the time I spend on video games (even though it's like 5 hours a month) and think about taking that down to just 1 (an hour spent playing them with my wife *only*. If that's my restriction then very little will I play indeed.)

11 hours ago, paracaidista508 said:

Perhaps they have not seen enough real combat then...Then maybe they have and they just cant get enough. I can tell you in my short Iraq tour in my unit we had 1 KIA and 30% WIA (48 wounded).. Freaking mess and it wasnt funny. We were on the winning side of it and thats the result of 166 IED/ Small Arms and coordinated attacks / enemy encounters on our elements, several vehicles totally destroyed. I know the numbers cuz it was my job to keep them for our unit. An additional duty of sorts. This was leading up to and during the surge in late '06 thru 2007.

Made police work look like a joke and I have seen some serious action as a cop. Been involved in a few shootings , witnessed many more, seen a few people blow their heads off in front of me etc. I was desensitized with real life before Iraq and Iraq was an eye opener. I dont know where you work, but Phx area is def a gamer's paradise for the real thing.

Anyway- just my two cents (and thats all its worth). Its my opinion people only get off on killing when there is no consequence. We are raising a generation of people who think its a game. I'd go do it all over again because there are still terrorists out there who need to be killed esp if it meant I could take the place of one of my kids, but the thought of it makes me want to throw up. Thats why these games suck...the combat ones and the others for other reasons. These kids have better things they should be doing.

 
I used to enjoy violent games but I've sworn them off. I agree everyone should probably stay away from games involving killing (rated "T" or above). I really don't think the Spirit is around when I play those types of games.
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4 minutes ago, eddified said:

Yup, one could consider TV and card games a mindless waste of time too. The occasional wholesome nature TV show like Planet Earth ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Earth_(TV_series) ) can be a good use of time, but most TV shows are not worth my time spent watching them. Including BYU TV's Granite Flat's... I watched every episode and I'm wishing I hadn't, it was a waste of time. Thanks everybody, I will take a long hard look at the time I spend on video games (even though it's like 5 hours a month) and think about taking that down to just 1 (an hour spent playing them with my wife *only*. If that's my restriction then very little will I play indeed.)

 
I used to enjoy violent games but I've sworn them off. I agree everyone should probably stay away from games involving killing (rated "T" or above). I really don't think the Spirit is around when I play those types of games.

I think you are probably OK if you spend only 5 hours a month gaming.  And, if your gaming is what you and your wife want to do as a date, then gaming is actually a good thing and is no longer a waste of time.

Moderation is the key.  Moderation.

Edited by DoctorLemon
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Guest MormonGator
11 hours ago, Vort said:

(By the way, "I'm-the-valedictorian-I-own-my-own-business-I-make-three-million-dollars-a-year-my-wife-is-a-supermodel-astrophysicist-and-I-play-online-six-hours-per-day" really isn't any sort of excuse for excessive gaming.)

I make four million dollars a year and my wife is a spy for the CIA. Other than that, your post is largely accurate. 

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Guest MormonGator
1 hour ago, Backroads said:

Are you supposed to say she's a spy?

I was never specific on which wife I was talking about. Throw yourself in the mix if you want to. Works for ex-wives as well. 

Edited by MormonGator
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12 hours ago, paracaidista508 said:

So the guys you work with have done/ seen enough, they have had enough of it.. I'm assuming the part I'm missing is they are still glued to a call of duty game? I know u were not comparing this to police work you has just responded that a tour in Iraq would probably not cure their fetish with games involving killing. Fair enough...I'm glad it was enjoyable enough that they can still enjoy "cyber slaughter". .ha that's good just made it up.

Quote

Uh huh ok. So I think combat games such as call of duty are a waste of time and glorify killing people so that in turn means I have issues? The healthy alternative/ diversion from real live violence and repeated exposure to it (police work) is to play violent role play war video games?

You were the one saying they had issues after serving in combat and still playing video games.  The guys I know don't have the issues you are saying.  Why you want to argue that is beyond me.

 

Quote

I'm glad it was enjoyable enough that they can still enjoy "cyber slaughter". .ha that's good just made it up.

Comments like this show you are the one having the problem. 

 

Are you projecting?

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3 hours ago, paracaidista508 said:

Uh huh ok. So I think combat games such as call of duty are a waste of time and glorify killing people so that in turn means I have issues? The healthy alternative/ diversion from real live violence and repeated exposure to it (police work) is to play violent role play war video games?

Interestingly (and I don't believe this myself) but there are lots of people out in American society (and some inthis very forum probably) who believe some cops set out to provoke violence and enjoy violent encounters. Like I said, I'm not of that opinion, but after that post I can understand how someone might form an opinion like that. 

It's "healthy" to someone who is fully capable of separating fact from fantasy. 

It's really that simple. 

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