Viewing Thread:
"Ignorance is not bliss"

In my home town I have a steady group of friends, all of the same age, and all of whom are now out of college and in the workplace (except for Ronnie, he's on the dole.... but you don't care about that).

In the earlier stages of our lives we loved going to the local arcade to play video games for hours on end.
As the years passed, so did most of their interest in the video game world... to the point where now there are only 3 of us (from the original 13) that are still very much in to video games.

That, in itself, is fine. What is not fine however is the fact that most of the lads now look at us gamers with a certain amount of disdain. On many occasions we have had arguments in the pub (granted, fairly steamed up at the time) where basically we were called a bunch of kids for still loving our video games.

Why is this ?

This brings out the point that the older we get it seems that we are not supposed to play games any more, in the eyes of our peers.
My girlfriend, soon to be wife, is not (and never was) into games (even though she got me a PS2 on launch day), and she cannot understand why I spend so much of my time playing them.

I'm not here to pontificate about the addictiveness of games (I've already done that one!) or why we play them, but I would like to discuss why we (gamers.... yes that includes YOU) are still seen as immature just because we play video games. In this modern era, this seems especially strange.

I was reading Edge in work recently (during lunch.... well that was my story anyway!) when one of my colleagues walked in to my office. Straight away I got a slagging about being a big kid. I tried in vain to point out that Edge isn't just a kids games magazine (in fact most of them aren't) and that it does present very interesting and technical articles about the video game industry as a whole. But to no avail.

Can anyone give me a real reason why we get sneered at ?

Maybe if we break it down a bit we can get some answers....

1) Our view: Games give us a way to pass the time doing something very enjoyable
Their view: Waste of time (yet most others just vegetate in front of TV in the evenings after work)
The verdict: At least with playing games we are actively involved in our evening’s entertainment. We are using our imagination and skills. (I know we also play sports and socialise etc., I'm just talking about time sitting in front of a TV).
Winner: Gamers.

2) Our view: You don't have to be a gamer all your life. You can start any time.
Their view: It is kids stuff. We never have and never will play games.
The verdict: An unwillingness to give it a try is what keeps a lot of people in the dark. Ever come across the case where someone asks to try a game and actually enjoys it? Of course you have.
Winner: Gamers.

3) Our View: Look at how technically advanced games are nowadays compared to 20 years ago. How could you not be impressed?
Their view: Still just a bunch of graphics and beeps. No big deal
The verdict: These same moaners get all excited when a new movie with great FX comes out, or indeed a new PC operating system with better interfaces etc. Therefore it is an invalid argument
Winner: Gamers

4) Their view: Look how much money you waste buying games. Why can't you use that for a new car etc?
Our view: Fair enough point
The verdict: It is up to the individual how their money will be spent, but I must admit there are probably better things than games to spend it on
Winner: Non Gamers (grudgingly!!)

The list can go on an on. It is just one of those arguments that never gets fully sorted. But it can be seen that usually the gamers view is the correct one, and that the non-gamers view, in a lot of cases, is just made of silly prejudices and statements made from ignorance (or maybe from defensiveness).

I guess the fact remains that some people genuinely do not understand the attraction of games, and that is fair enough. But for anyone out there who has ever enjoyed a video game, don't sneer at people who still do.... we're still getting enjoyment from them.... what are you doing?

Any opinions?
Thanks for reading

wrote:
> Thanks for the opinions guys, and thanks for GAD by the way.
I guess in summary we'll always come up against people who just won't accept others opinions and actvities. But let them wallow in their own ignorance, it is their loss in the long run.

KevD wrote:
4) Their view: Look how much money you waste buying games. Why can't
> you use that for a new car etc?
Our view: Fair enough point
The verdict: It is
> up to the individual how their money will be spent, but I must admit there are
> probably better things than games to spend it on
Winner: Non Gamers
> (grudgingly!!)

well, if you think about it, quite a few people smoke for pleasure, but its a massive waste of money. many people drink at the pub for pleasure, but that, again, could be seen as wasting money. most things people do for pleasure could be seen as wasting money, but people still do them, because they enjoy them.

Hmmm...

You enjoy games. Therefore, how is that a waste of money?

If you enjoy eating money, then by all means, eat it. It's not a waste then, if you get something from it. It's a shame that things can be classified as more important than others, on the realms of what you need to live.

Hell yeah, spend that money on food, drink, clothes, whatever you need to live. But for me to pay £20 to go into a nightclub, drink away, and end up with nothing at the end apart from a headache and a really dull night... that's a waste, in my opinion. I'd rather buy a game, because I'm a damn geek, and I'm hella proud.

In a conversation, an Aunt once said, about my nephew: "My God... you could waste away the whole day playing with him, couldn't you?"

I replied: "No time I spend playing is wasted."

And I still stand by that.

Ali@specialreserve wrote:
>I think hanging around outside
> shops is a waste of time, but I never stop to tell them that. Usually because
> there's loads of them and they have broken bottles.

That would be Festival Leisure Park on a Saturday/ Friday night. Boy thats bad...

these people who tell you to spend your money on something better invariably go off and spend there money on something like a picture frame or something (Older Middle aged sort) you say its good but you cant really get enjoyment from it. They say : but it looks nice and cant understand why you dont appreciate it.

Kids who hang outside houses and shops are just doing so to look hard in front of their mates. They do this via intimidation to the public; grown ups, other kids and such like. If they learnt that it mattered more by getting respect from people with brains, instead of the no-marks they hang around with, then there would be no need for them to hang around outside in the streets

Its an image thing - they think that if the stand out there long enough, their 'personal utilities' will get bigger.

Sadly for them, only the one on their heads gets bigger and they look like morons

I've never understood that standing about outside stuff.

A couple of kids do that near my house, they stand out all weather and smoke really furtively because they're 14.

Anyone who causes you grief for liking something different from them is a narrow minded fool, and their opinion doesn't matter. I think hanging around outside shops is a waste of time, but I never stop to tell them that. Usually because there's loads of them and they have broken bottles.

wrote:
> Mostly the stick I get is just taking the p. But it has happened on numerous occasions that people reckon I'm just a big child (30 now)...