Do these things make me "immature"

[Lipp]

Gaming is fine in a casual dosage, if you're addicted you deserve to be dumped, and if you mention it as one of your hobbies people will rightly consider you to be the latter of the two.

I used to do sports, martial arts and hip-hop dancing classes back in the first year, but nowadays my time is severely limited outside of studies and work, so either watching movies or playing some offline game is suitable for those 1-2 hour intervals, and works out quite alright. But is it a hobby? No, it's a pastime.

And haven't really watched the telly for several years now, too many bleeding commercials and not a fan of adhering to scheduled programs.

[Wonder87]

Gaming is fine in a casual dosage, if you're addicted you deserve to be dumped, and if you mention it as one of your hobbies people will rightly consider you to be the latter of the two.

I used to do sports, martial arts and hip-hop dancing classes back in the first year, but nowadays my time is severely limited outside of studies and work, so either watching movies or playing some offline game is suitable for those 1-2 hour intervals, and works out quite alright. But is it a hobby? No, it's a pastime.

And haven't really watched the telly for several years now, too many bleeding commercials and not a fan of adhering to scheduled programs.

i think thats my problem. I like to play video games once in a while. I like story driven video games, as i feel there is nothing modern literature has to offer thats good story telling. I could read the classics, and i do, but sometimes i want something that tells a story in a modern style. And i think to "rightly consider" all people who own a playstation as addicted is stereotyping and more immature than these casual gamers themselves.

[Mister Wizard]

Okay, I'm a little overwhelmed by all these posts, I've been trying to catch up because I find this subject fascinating.

I understand the negative stigma attached to video games, its been there since their inception. Its been relegated to nerds, losers, and now they have their own term...gamers. Oddly enough, being a guy myself and having grown up through the dawning of and evolution of video games (having owned an Atari when I was a kid), I've been subjected to those stereotypes and its fueled by women, and understandably so.

There are stories in the news of people who become addicted to video games. Who died because they take their gaming so seriously. Its no wonder why women hate men who can be addicted to video games. Like others have said before, anything can be an addiction. It can affect relationships and lives. Video games are no exception.

Yet, I'm surrounded by people who have a positive spin on it. Happy married couples who share the hobby, even married women in their 30s and 40s, happily talking about video games and sharing that experience with their husband and kids. And I'm not talking about casual titles from Nintendo or anything, I'm talking about hardcore games that would be considered geared towards younger audiences.

I think the misconception of video games being immature is well founded. You only hear the negative, because that's what makes the news or that's what screams out the loudest. You mostly hear about divorce and unhappy marriages or breaking up. That's what this whole forum is about, talking about the negative in hopes of finding help through the positive. We come here because of the problems in our lives, and we don't sit here sharing our everyday triumphs. We don't hear about the people who drink alcohol in moderation or only in parties, we don't see the people who do things in moderation. Society is attracted to Celebrity Rehab, or the latest disasters in society. Its what makes everything interesting, and I think society bullies the video game player because its easy to do, and its more fun than recognizing the people who play for recreation and for fun. Honestly, I believe the number of people who play video games and are not addicted outnumber those who are and allow it to ruin their lives.

Video games, in moderation, is a great tool for socializing, for friendly competition, and for bonding. Its excellent escapism, and can be equivalent to reading and movies as their is intelligence behind the stories told in games and an entertainment value similar to movies. Its an industry that creates buzz, that brings people together with a common interest. Video games are a hobby, and should be treated as such. You have a right to those negative ideas of gamers, especially if you've had those experiences, but I've had positive from men and women alike. None of them addicts.

Sorry for the long post, yes I play video games on occasion, I understand my priorities and my responsibilities, and I'd rather relieve my stress effectively that way, than lose my hair over it. AND, I love that this is actually a discussion.

[vashti]

You sound defensive. lol

[SirWagginston]

I hate how people still conceive of video games as mindless entertainment. Video games can expand your mind just as much as a book, if not more. When I use to play Elder Scrolls, I would play with a dictionary on-hand, because the game's writers utilize a heavy vocabulary, and because of that my own vocabulary grew a lot from playing the game. And that was just an RPG. A serious strategy game like Civilization IV are so in-depth as to require the player to have an understanding of an empire and how it functions. A serious puzzle game like Portal will bend your brain in ways you can hardly imagine. I also enjoyed the Total War series, which is a strategy game that maintains detailed historical accuracy. The challenges present in these games include 3D problem solving/exploration, puzzles, riddles, working with numbers, and many other things besides hand-eye coordination. While I will occasionally enjoy a first person shooter, pointless violence is only a small part of video games. I tend to stick to creative and innovative games, as well as strategy games and simulations.

Society needs to accept that video games represent a serious artistic medium. People don't want to because they still picture game players as greasy nerds or children, but a lot of them play games because of the fascinating concepts some of them involve. My favorite example for that would be a game like Spore (although that game ended up seriously lacking in production value), wherein you guide the evolution of an intelligent species from a single-celled organism. Games can also cater to those who are visually creative. The best example for that would be cell shading. Cell shading is a graphical rendering technique that makes games appear more cartoony, not unlike something out of a comic book. Some video game companies don't do much with that technology, but others such as Capcom use it for serious artistic expression. Their popular game [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Ckami"]Okami[/URL] was designed to mimic the appearance of a Japanese watercolor painting, such that in play it looks like a canvas in motion. I thought the scenes in that game were beautiful.

[Junket]

You sound defensive. lol

Well, there's an attitude I've often encountered on this topic, with several people, including yourself.

It often starts with uninformed, often outdated criticisms on what someone believes to be a juvenile activity.

Then when individuals present valid arguments against those criticisms, to turn things to a relatively in depth discussion, those that critique it, quickly fall back to a condescending attitude. Their defense being that because it's such a frivolous activity, it's not worth discussing, and anyone taking the topic seriously, should not be taken seriously.

I'll discuss gun control any day of the week with Vashti, but when it comes to anything videogames, it's like talking to a broken record.

[Illusional]

it's funny because me and my friend had a conversation about this. a lot of people think that video games are only for kids, yet, it's the same people who are constantly on FB and addicted to their cell phones because of it's multi-purposed functions. so when they bring this up to you again, ask them what is the difference between games and FB???

[vashti]

Well, there's an attitude I've often encountered on this topic, with several people, including yourself.

It often starts with uninformed, often outdated criticisms on what someone believes to be a juvenile activity.

Then when individuals present valid arguments against those criticisms, to turn things to a relatively in depth discussion, those that critique it, quickly fall back to a condescending attitude. Their defense being that because it's such a frivolous activity, it's not worth discussing, and anyone taking the topic seriously, should not be taken seriously.

I'll discuss gun control any day of the week with Vashti, but when it comes to anything videogames, it's like talking to a broken record.

It's not video games I object to.... I'd feel the same way for someone who took Monopoly so seriously. I just can't see getting so defensive about a game... ANY game.

[Lipp]

Just as no one would ever be offended about being called a fairy for being a ballet dancer or a no-brain tool for being an american football player.

[Junket]

Just as no one would ever be offended about being called a fairy for being a ballet dancer or a no-brain tool for being an american football player.

Kinda my point.

I told my roommate, and this guy at work flat out that I don't understand alcohol addiction.

It makes no sense in my mind why a person cannot simply have one drink and then stop.

I simply cannot comprehend it.

But at the least I understand it's legitimate, so I save them the attitude.

[Kai Phoenix]

I don't think guys who play video games are immature

I quite like a good gaming session when I have the time and as long as they don't play excessively then I think it is a good thing, people who play games can often be more fun

I love a bit of immaturity though!

[VincenzoG91]

I own a few PC games. I enjoy them, but they are time-consuming and sometimes too repetitive, so I have only gotten around to finishing one of them. I think they are a better form of entertainment than watching television, because most television shows aren't very good and encourage passive viewing. PC games and console games may involve a lot of repetition, but the better ones also challenge the player to develop some tactics or even strategy to overcome challenges. But I don't respect people who play these games constantly, because they are missing out too much on real life. My next door neighbor recently got the new western game, Red Dead Redemption or something like that, and he has been playing every night since, sometimes until 2:00 AM on weekends. He is a pale, unhealthy-looking computer programmer, though he at least gets some exercise by biking to work.

[lahnnabell]

Kinda my point.

I told my roommate, and this guy at work flat out that I don't understand alcohol addiction.

It makes no sense in my mind why a person cannot simply have one drink and then stop.

I simply cannot comprehend it.

But at the least I understand it's legitimate, so I save them the attitude.

I used to feel the same way. Since I've been smoking for a while now, I have a slightly better understanding now. To me, the initial problem for alcoholics is the extreme depression they suffer. Of course, after a while, the depression itself transforms as the alcoholism explodes. Addiction is a very mental issue. The reason I smoke? I never get the shakes. I never physically NEED a cigarette. It is my mind telling me that I do. And I go for one because it has become habit. My brain goes through a series of thoughts that (in a way) very sneakily convince me that what I want is to smoke. If I really want to quit, I need to prove that I have the mental capacity to override what my brain is telling me it thinks I need.

I think for alcoholics it is similar. They develop a habit that enables them to block out the depression they have. Whatever thoughts or feelings that have weighing them down, the alcohol makes them not care about them. They can numb themselves essentially. That's the addiction. To the numbness. It's escapism as its finest. Kinda like if one were to play video games 24/7, or people who overeat. Think of it like hypno-driving. When you've driven so many times one way, there are points during you're driving where part of your brain seemingly shuts down. You wake out of your stupor and think, "Holy crap. How long was I out for?" Only with some addictions, the intention isn't to wake up from that stupor.

Some also think people can be genetically predispositioned to alcoholism, but I don't know about that one.

[Junket]

I used to feel the same way. Since I've been smoking for a while now, I have a slightly better understanding now. To me, the initial problem for alcoholics is the extreme depression they suffer. Of course, after a while, the depression itself transforms as the alcoholism explodes. Addiction is a very mental issue. The reason I smoke? I never get the shakes. I never physically NEED a cigarette. It is my mind telling me that I do. And I go for one because it has become habit. My brain goes through a series of thoughts that (in a way) very sneakily convince me that what I want is to smoke. If I really want to quit, I need to prove that I have the mental capacity to override what my brain is telling me it thinks I need.

I think for alcoholics it is similar. They develop a habit that enables them to block out the depression they have. Whatever thoughts or feelings that have weighing them down, the alcohol makes them not care about them. They can numb themselves essentially. That's the addiction. To the numbness. It's escapism as its finest. Kinda like if one were to play video games 24/7, or people who overeat. Think of it like hypno-driving. When you've driven so many times one way, there are points during you're driving where part of your brain seemingly shuts down. You wake out of your stupor and think, "Holy crap. How long was I out for?" Only with some addictions, the intention isn't to wake up from that stupor.

Some also think people can be genetically predispositioned to alcoholism, but I don't know about that one.

Well, damn.

I wasn't trying to get in all that, I was just pointing out several poster's annoying patronizing attitudes because they don't won't even lend an ear to inform themselves.