Video Games

[pdub]

It's interesting.
Very interesting.
I know the line of cool is subjective but mark me down as this being on the other side ( non-cool ) of the line.

[TDub]

the old man yelling at clouds in me says there has to be something better/more productive for people to do with their time than figure out all this stuff.

[pdub]

I suppose.
But I waste time watching a lot of sports and could be far more productive with those hours lost.
These dudes just like being the best at tetris.

[twocoach]

The video is cool to me in that it did a great job of explaining it all quickly and effectively. As for the world of competitive gaming? Not "cool" in the traditional societal sense of the word but to each their own. I am glad there are more activities for kids to devote themselves to being passionate, working hard and striving to achieve goals besides just sports and music/performance arts. Not every kid fits in the old school model from our youth.

Any time a kid gets a chance to set a hard goal that requires them to work hard and struggle to achieve it is a good thing.

[TDub]

Yea, that's why it's the old man yelling at clouds part of me that is saying that.


Problem being that version of me grows stronger each year. It happens to most of us, I suppose.

My intake of sports has dramatically decreased in the last few years too, I think specifically related to this phenomenon. It's now limited mostly to Kansas sports and some Husky football.

Maybe it's the internal clock telling me the sand is steadily falling....better get some shit done. I dunno.

[twocoach]

the old man yelling at clouds in me says there has to be something better/more productive for people to do with their time than figure out all this stuff.

Most of us are from the generation of people whose parents drilled into you that sitting around playing video games was a waste of time. A myth mostly created by parents who sucked at video games and had lives that required a lot of physical, manual activity.

Reading a book is considered to be a useful activity despite the fact that it is a set story line with zero possibilities for interaction or alternate results while playing a video game where the gamer can create a near limitless variation of storylines in any order they choose is seen as a waste of time.

[twocoach]

Yea, that's why it's the old man yelling at clouds part of me that is saying that.


Problem being that version of me grows stronger each year. It happens to most of us, I suppose.

My intake of sports has dramatically decreased in the last few years too, I think specifically related to this phenomenon. It's now limited mostly to Kansas sports and some Husky football.

Maybe it's the internal clock telling me the sand is steadily falling....better get some shit done. I dunno.

I get that. I am certainly looking to experience a few more things that I might have passed on previously knowing that I probably have at most a few more decades left walking this earth.

[TDub]

I also.find myself drifting during the games outside of kansas basketball these days. Reading, cleaning, cooking, working in something with the games in almost as background noise. I rarely sit and do nothing but watch a game (again, KU basketball being the exception)

[TDub]

the old man yelling at clouds in me says there has to be something better/more productive for people to do with their time than figure out all this stuff.

Most of us are from the generation of people whose parents drilled into you that sitting around playing video games was a waste of time. A myth mostly created by parents who sucked at video games and had lives that required a lot of physical, manual activity.

Reading a book is considered to be a useful activity despite the fact that it is a set story line with zero possibilities for interaction or alternate results while playing a video game where the gamer can create a near limitless variation of storylines in any order they choose is seen as a waste of time.

I very much grew up with this being the standard response from my elders. But, I happen to agree with them (perhaps because I am also bad at video games).

I read mainly non fiction books and books that have information in them for me to grow my skills etc....but I also happen to think that fiction books are infinitely more useful than video games. You're required to use your imagination, actively keep your mind in the story, its quiet, not flashing in your face, and you have to have patience to get results.

Video games, lots of them anyway, do no require those things.

[twocoach]

the old man yelling at clouds in me says there has to be something better/more productive for people to do with their time than figure out all this stuff.

Most of us are from the generation of people whose parents drilled into you that sitting around playing video games was a waste of time. A myth mostly created by parents who sucked at video games and had lives that required a lot of physical, manual activity.

Reading a book is considered to be a useful activity despite the fact that it is a set story line with zero possibilities for interaction or alternate results while playing a video game where the gamer can create a near limitless variation of storylines in any order they choose is seen as a waste of time.

I very much grew up with this being the standard response from my elders. But, I happen to agree with them (perhaps because I am also bad at video games).

I read mainly non fiction books and books that have information in them for me to grow my skills etc....but I also happen to think that fiction books are infinitely more useful than video games. You're required to use your imagination, actively keep your mind in the story, its quiet, not flashing in your face, and you have to have patience to get results.

Video games, lots of them anyway, do no require those things.

I play a lot of open world games and varieties of play styles that are heavy on good stories and open possibilities vs. "follow the set pattern or die" games or the "shoot as many people as possible" online games so my experience may be different than is typical. I encourage my kids to play games that require them to build and be creative. The Sims, Animal Crossing, Minecraft, etc...

Like the world of books, there's lots of great choices out there and some brainless trash, too.

[twocoach]

I also.find myself drifting during the games outside of kansas basketball these days. Reading, cleaning, cooking, working in something with the games in almost as background noise. I rarely sit and do nothing but watch a game (again, KU basketball being the exception)

Same here. I mostly make it through a Chiefs game but football games are so damn long that I inevitably have to get up and get some things done as I only have so many weekend hours available to get all the shit done I need to accomplish. I can't have a completely unproductive slot of 4 hours in the middle of the day and the Sunday/Monday night games take so long that they run into my "get the kids to bed" activities" before they are over.

[jfish26]

Most of us are from the generation of people whose parents drilled into you that sitting around playing video games was a waste of time. A myth mostly created by parents who sucked at video games and had lives that required a lot of physical, manual activity.

Reading a book is considered to be a useful activity despite the fact that it is a set story line with zero possibilities for interaction or alternate results while playing a video game where the gamer can create a near limitless variation of storylines in any order they choose is seen as a waste of time.

I very much grew up with this being the standard response from my elders. But, I happen to agree with them (perhaps because I am also bad at video games).

I read mainly non fiction books and books that have information in them for me to grow my skills etc....but I also happen to think that fiction books are infinitely more useful than video games. You're required to use your imagination, actively keep your mind in the story, its quiet, not flashing in your face, and you have to have patience to get results.

Video games, lots of them anyway, do no require those things.

I play a lot of open world games and varieties of play styles that are heavy on good stories and open possibilities vs. "follow the set pattern or die" games or the "shoot as many people as possible" online games so my experience may be different than is typical. I encourage my kids to play games that require them to build and be creative. The Sims, Animal Crossing, Minecraft, etc...

Like the world of books, there's lots of great choices out there and some brainless trash, too.

Over the last twelve months, I've put in more time on Roller Coaster Tycoon Classic on my iPad than I'd like to admit.

[twocoach]

I very much grew up with this being the standard response from my elders. But, I happen to agree with them (perhaps because I am also bad at video games).

I read mainly non fiction books and books that have information in them for me to grow my skills etc....but I also happen to think that fiction books are infinitely more useful than video games. You're required to use your imagination, actively keep your mind in the story, its quiet, not flashing in your face, and you have to have patience to get results.

Video games, lots of them anyway, do no require those things.

I play a lot of open world games and varieties of play styles that are heavy on good stories and open possibilities vs. "follow the set pattern or die" games or the "shoot as many people as possible" online games so my experience may be different than is typical. I encourage my kids to play games that require them to build and be creative. The Sims, Animal Crossing, Minecraft, etc...

Like the world of books, there's lots of great choices out there and some brainless trash, too.

Over the last twelve months, I've put in more time on Roller Coaster Tycoon Classic on my iPad than I'd like to admit.

All studies show that puzzles are good for the brain as we age. Figuring out how to build an interesting and enjoyable roller coaster park is a far more challenging brain puzzle than poking around in some brain app on your phone or doing a crossword puzzle in my opinion.

https://blog.thegoodmangroup.com/best-v ... ould%20not.

"The results saw significantly increased hippocampus gray matter in the gaming group compared to the piano and inactive groups. That's right, playing video games helped seniors exercise their brains and decrease their Alzheimer's risk factors in a way that even learning to play piano could not."

The study: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/artic ... ne.0187779

Tell people you spend X hours a week fending off Alzheimer's and they wont give you any grief. The whole "video gaming is bad for you" stigma will be even harder to overcome than the war on drugs messaging from the 80s. Anything done for too long, even exercising, is bad for you. Play some games, it's good for you.

[jfish26]

I suppose.
But I waste time watching a lot of sports and could be far more productive with those hours lost.
These dudes just like being the best at tetris.

Nothing wrong with leisure time.

[jfish26]

I play a lot of open world games and varieties of play styles that are heavy on good stories and open possibilities vs. "follow the set pattern or die" games or the "shoot as many people as possible" online games so my experience may be different than is typical. I encourage my kids to play games that require them to build and be creative. The Sims, Animal Crossing, Minecraft, etc...

Like the world of books, there's lots of great choices out there and some brainless trash, too.

Over the last twelve months, I've put in more time on Roller Coaster Tycoon Classic on my iPad than I'd like to admit.

All studies show that puzzles are good for the brain as we age. Figuring out how to build an interesting and enjoyable roller coaster park is a far more challenging brain puzzle than poking around in some brain app on your phone or doing a crossword puzzle in my opinion.

https://blog.thegoodmangroup.com/best-v ... ould%20not.

"The results saw significantly increased hippocampus gray matter in the gaming group compared to the piano and inactive groups. That's right, playing video games helped seniors exercise their brains and decrease their Alzheimer's risk factors in a way that even learning to play piano could not."

The study: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/artic ... ne.0187779

Tell people you spend X hours a week fending off Alzheimer's and they wont give you any grief. The whole "video gaming is bad for you" stigma will be even harder to overcome than the war on drugs messaging from the 80s. Anything done for too long, even exercising, is bad for you. Play some games, it's good for you.

There's a line, though.

My oldest kid, like a lot of boys especially, plays a LOT of games.

I don't think violent games cause or desensitize kids to violence, exactly, but I definitely do see a negative side to just how easy it can be for kids to rely on ever-increasing degrees of violence and sexuality and so on, to get their endorphin fix.

And obviously I cannot talk too much shit on having online friendships - hello, everyone, it's been fun these last 20 years - but back in my day if you spammed the same play in football videogames, you were liable to get a controller winged at your head from six feet away. So there was at least SOME real-life social component.

[twocoach]

Over the last twelve months, I've put in more time on Roller Coaster Tycoon Classic on my iPad than I'd like to admit.

All studies show that puzzles are good for the brain as we age. Figuring out how to build an interesting and enjoyable roller coaster park is a far more challenging brain puzzle than poking around in some brain app on your phone or doing a crossword puzzle in my opinion.

https://blog.thegoodmangroup.com/best-v ... ould%20not.

"The results saw significantly increased hippocampus gray matter in the gaming group compared to the piano and inactive groups. That's right, playing video games helped seniors exercise their brains and decrease their Alzheimer's risk factors in a way that even learning to play piano could not."

The study: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/artic ... ne.0187779

Tell people you spend X hours a week fending off Alzheimer's and they wont give you any grief. The whole "video gaming is bad for you" stigma will be even harder to overcome than the war on drugs messaging from the 80s. Anything done for too long, even exercising, is bad for you. Play some games, it's good for you.

There's a line, though.

My oldest kid, like a lot of boys especially, plays a LOT of games.

I don't think violent games cause or desensitize kids to violence, exactly, but I definitely do see a negative side to just how easy it can be for kids to rely on ever-increasing degrees of violence and sexuality and so on, to get their endorphin fix.

And obviously I cannot talk too much shit on having online friendships - hello, everyone, it's been fun these last 20 years - but back in my day if you spammed the same play in football videogames, you were liable to get a controller winged at your head from six feet away. So there was at least SOME real-life social component.

Agreed. "Everything in moderation, including moderation" as they say.

Drinking water is good for you. Drinking A LOT of water can be bad for you.

Working out is good for you. Working out A LOT can be bad for you.

Eating healthy is good for you. Eating A LOT of healthy food can be bad for you.

Having sex is good for you. Having A LOT of sex can be bad for you.

Like I said, too much of anything is bad for you. Kids definitely need to set down the controller from time to time and go interact with real humans face to face and do some physical activity.

[jfish26]

All studies show that puzzles are good for the brain as we age. Figuring out how to build an interesting and enjoyable roller coaster park is a far more challenging brain puzzle than poking around in some brain app on your phone or doing a crossword puzzle in my opinion.

https://blog.thegoodmangroup.com/best-v ... ould%20not.

"The results saw significantly increased hippocampus gray matter in the gaming group compared to the piano and inactive groups. That's right, playing video games helped seniors exercise their brains and decrease their Alzheimer's risk factors in a way that even learning to play piano could not."

The study: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/artic ... ne.0187779

Tell people you spend X hours a week fending off Alzheimer's and they wont give you any grief. The whole "video gaming is bad for you" stigma will be even harder to overcome than the war on drugs messaging from the 80s. Anything done for too long, even exercising, is bad for you. Play some games, it's good for you.

There's a line, though.

My oldest kid, like a lot of boys especially, plays a LOT of games.

I don't think violent games cause or desensitize kids to violence, exactly, but I definitely do see a negative side to just how easy it can be for kids to rely on ever-increasing degrees of violence and sexuality and so on, to get their endorphin fix.

And obviously I cannot talk too much shit on having online friendships - hello, everyone, it's been fun these last 20 years - but back in my day if you spammed the same play in football videogames, you were liable to get a controller winged at your head from six feet away. So there was at least SOME real-life social component.

Agreed. "Everything in moderation, including moderation" as they say.

Drinking water is good for you. Drinking A LOT of water can be bad for you.

Working out is good for you. Working out A LOT can be bad for you.

Eating healthy is good for you. Eating A LOT of healthy food can be bad for you.

Having sex is good for you. Having A LOT of sex can be bad for you.

Like I said, too much of anything is bad for you. Kids definitely need to set down the controller from time to time and go interact with real humans face to face and do some physical activity.

Take it to the Kids thread, I know, but my son is so predictable.

Crack down on gaming/isolation and he'll be angry for precisely one (1) day, and mopey for one (1) more day. Then it's like you've introduced him to joy and connection all over again, to the point that he's thanking you.

And then, 6-8 weeks later, back to square one.

[DeletedUser]

Having too much sex can be bad?

[twocoach]

Having too much sex can be bad?

There is a frequency of sex where your trusted sexual partner will say "yeah, I'll pass" and beyond that point you'd have to go outside of your trusted partner to have that amount of sex which I would assume would lead to bad things in your life, yes.

[twocoach]

Thinking about revisiting Cyberpunk 2077 now that the developers have pored a bunch of time and money into addressing a lot of the issues. They also released an update that won some awards this season. It's been so long since I played it originally that it's pretty close to starting over for me.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/h ... 7b68&ei=42