Is it ever fruitless?

Started by Dragon January 23rd, 2014 12:11 PM
  • 1179 views
  • 25 replies

Dragon

lover of milotics

Age 30
Male
Viridian City
Seen 5 Days Ago
Posted October 24th, 2022
11,170 posts
9.7 Years
Someone once told me that playing video games is considered pointless because we don't gain anything from it, since it's not real.

But thinking of this, why do you think that we enjoy video games, that is considered 'pointless'? Why do you play video games? How do they serve you?


"Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I possess...
DRAGON SLAVE!"

Flushed

never eat raspberries

Seen November 4th, 2017
Posted May 18th, 2017
2,301 posts
9.7 Years
Video games provide hours of fun, and a lifetime worth of nostalgic memories. They can lead to careers, life-long friendships, joining internet forums (lolol), etc. I'm not going to be in the NHL, so why can't I enjoy a nice simulated hockey game? They tell you to go outside and play? Well that's not exactly real either.
Seen 3 Weeks Ago
Posted January 2nd, 2021
1,549 posts
9.9 Years
They provide me with somewhere to go, somewhere where I can matter to everyone and then possibly kill them with the click of a button, I'm not sure I guess I enjoy exploring wierd and fantastic things that I cannot do so in real life. AND NO I'm not going to run into the woods and hit my head on a rock so I get amnesia and survive out there because I want the best RPG experience
Age 29
Male
Seen February 13th, 2023
Posted March 31st, 2014
74 posts
9.4 Years
There's plenty of reasons to play video games. They're a fun distraction, a way to immerse yourself in a new, exciting world. They're always a fun challenge. Hell sometimes it's fun to play easy games (or games that may be easy to one person but hard for the next) and just go through the motions.

That's one reason why I play video games. Plus I always enjoy a good story, so when they've got that, that's just a plus for me. It's kind of like playing through a movie sometimes.
Male
USA
Seen December 27th, 2021
Posted July 4th, 2014
322 posts
9.8 Years
I agree with everyone here and I bet the same people that told you that watch TV or movies regularly, which you don't interact with unlike video games. So if video games are pointless, TV and movies are even more so, yet nobody seems to mind that people sit in front of one all day, just so long as they're not playing video games.
I don't use "uber" Pokémon, I don't calculate stat values, I don't use cheating devices, I don't breed my way to perfection, and I don't care about natures. I catch my Pokemon the way they are, and treat them like individuals instead of brainless drones. If you use this philosophy, copy & paste this into your signature.

T!M

Four Category MoTY (VG) Winner

Age 31
Male
Georgia, United States
Seen May 20th, 2016
Posted April 25th, 2014
1,422 posts
14.4 Years
They serve for me an endless amount of fun, Enjoyment and escape.

In the long run I guess those who don't make a career out of it, then its pointless outside of having fun.

But pointless or not, I love video games, I always have, and I always will.

Puddle

Mission Complete✔

Age 27
Male
Jacksonville, Florida
Seen November 17th, 2019
Posted September 5th, 2014
1,458 posts
9.4 Years
I hate when people try and use this argument. It's something that we enjoy at the time, so we are obviously going to continue and play it. I do it to have fun, not because I want it to be inputted into my daily life. However, I learned a few things through Pokemon as I grew older xD

Razer302

Three Days Grace - Break

Age 32
England
Seen November 22nd, 2022
Posted December 13th, 2018
3,368 posts
17.1 Years
I first started gaming as a way to hide from my abusive childhood, it was a place I could go where I could just absorb myself in another world. As I grew older it just became something I loved doing and I eventually moved into multiplayer with friends and then MMORPG games with random people that made me some great friends out of it.
Age 32
Male
Faraway place
Seen May 14th, 2019
Posted June 15th, 2017
267 posts
11.3 Years
The Matrix has an amazingly insightful scene about this question.

The main quote from the scene goes: "What is real? How do you define 'real'? If you're talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste, and see then 'real' is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain."

Pokemon Sigma Σmerald:
(now under management by DraconianWing)

A Gen 3 remake de-make, featuring many new encounters and Gen VI mechanics

Male
USA
Seen December 27th, 2021
Posted July 4th, 2014
322 posts
9.8 Years
If playing video games is pointless, then going to the movies, and watching tv is just as pointless. xD I play video games because it's fun and it passes a lot of time for me. I quite enjoy it.
That's what I'm sayin! It's just another form of entertainment and should be treated equal to other forms of media.
I don't use "uber" Pokémon, I don't calculate stat values, I don't use cheating devices, I don't breed my way to perfection, and I don't care about natures. I catch my Pokemon the way they are, and treat them like individuals instead of brainless drones. If you use this philosophy, copy & paste this into your signature.

Hyzenthlay

running with the wolves tonight

Age 23
Rito Village
Seen 1 Day Ago
Posted 6 Days Ago
7,802 posts
10.5 Years
I enjoy video games for many reasons but the primary reason is because they take you to so many different places. You can wander around beautiful fantasy lands in open-world RPGs, much like those made by Square Enix. Or you could be a two-dimensional character in an 8bit universe. :D

The secondary reason is of course for the fun of it! I mean, that's what video games were created for right? To distract you from reality and absorb you into fantasy. I don't know what I'd do without video games to be honest, haha.

So yeah, video games are a fun way of expanding your imagination, and I don't think that's pointless at all.
I forget how emotions dance when they aren't inside of me
I forget how the sun feels when she isn't around me
And my dreams become sweeter when something is missing
I'm in love with the hunt itself
It makes me feel alive

🌲💞🍀
on reduced activity!

Satoshi Ookami

Memento Mori

Age 30
Male
Abyss of Time, Great Seal
Seen August 5th, 2018
Posted July 3rd, 2018
14,253 posts
14.8 Years
They give us trophies/achievements etc... Argument about not gaining anything is invalid!

And pretty much like the others, it's a means of enjoyment for me =)
I must also say that they provide and provided me with means of learning Japanese and English languages.
ROM hacking FAQ - Read before asking how to play a hack.

Anime List | PSN Trophy List

CliCliW

I have a Ph.D in Horribleness.

Age 29
Female
Ireland
Seen August 15th, 2015
Posted August 15th, 2015
435 posts
10.4 Years
I'm not going to be in the NHL, so why can't I enjoy a nice simulated hockey game? They tell you to go outside and play? Well that's not exactly real either.
There's a whole psychology behind why play is good for kids though :P

Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Play is important to healthy brain development. It is through play that children at a very early age engage and interact in the world around them. Play allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering their fears while practicing adult roles, sometimes in conjunction with other children or adult caregivers.As they master their world, play helps children develop new competencies that lead to enhanced confidence and the resiliency they will need to face future challenges. Undirected play allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to resolve conflicts, and to learn self-advocacy skills. Perhaps above all, play is a simple joy that is a cherished part of childhood.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/119/1/182.full (it's a really long article, so maybe not worth a lot of attention for just a discussion in passing..)

But that draws attention to the fact that not everything has to be real to be appreciated, surely? Ok, so maybe playing video games doesn't offer a whole lot of benefits compared to play, but it still has some.

>I feel like playing video games can help you to think and problem solve in unique ways that may be otherwise absent in life.
>It can provide a good outlet for problem solving and delegation (in playing multiplayer).
>It allows you to interact and become involved in the story, rather than just watching it objectively.
>Not to mention it provides endless hours of fun and entertainment. It provides a great escape from the worldly stresses around you, and how awesome is that? :)


And there's this about video games and their importance in education, but I'd actually take it with a pinch of salt..:
Spoiler:

Starry Windy

Everything will be Daijoubu.

Male
Liberty Garden
Seen April 28th, 2020
Posted April 28th, 2020
9,307 posts
10.4 Years
I get fun and happiness when playing Video Games, so I didn't buy it in vain.

Homura Akemi

time is f o r e v e r~

Age 24
Female
'Straya
Seen April 1st, 2014
Posted April 1st, 2014
404 posts
9.6 Years
I get fun out of a virtual world, as it takes you from the stresses of reality for a short time..I find video games a really good way to take time away from real life, and to sit back and go into another world, different from ours.

"2014 sometimes leads to even better April Fools' jokes."
VM | PM | Gensokyo | Previously | Theme | Fan Club | | | | | |

Captain Gizmo

Monkey King

Age 29
Male
Canada
Seen 2 Weeks Ago
Posted 3 Weeks Ago
4,842 posts
10.7 Years
It's like saying watching tv is pointless when a crap ton of people does it too. At least playing video games works your brain while watching tv doesn't (although documentaries does help such as Animal Planet and Discovery Channel). People who says video games are pointless are most likely people who never gave them a chance to really play and enjoy them.
♥Plusle bro of Synerjee♥ | ♥Pink Mommy♥
|3DS FC|

Raine

Age 29
Female
Ontario, Canada
Seen December 16th, 2017
Posted October 5th, 2017
3,722 posts
9.3 Years
It's a source of entertainment, but I wouldn't go around saying that they're pointless. For myself, whenever I'm stressed or anything, I play them to take my mind off other issues and just immerse myself into fantasy. Sometimes it even gives me inspiration and creativity when I'm roaming environments and what-not.

Lord Scalgon

I'm just here so I won't get fined.

Your hairdresser.
Seen August 16th, 2018
Posted June 7th, 2016
270 posts
14.3 Years
If it weren't for video games, this is what would happen:
  • Professional gamers (in video games) would not exist. This means StarCraft fever in South Korea.
  • Boredom. And maybe even more boredom. (but then again, I hardly ever watch TV)
  • No "Difficulty: ASIAN" meme.


(my list is currently shallow...will probably think more along the way)

As for why we play video games, one of the main reasons is to kill time. Maybe you just might get something out of it. Got my notable recognition in my campus for not only being the best StarCraft II player, but also achieved miscellaneous gaming feats that were deemed impossible by many.
Liu Kang ftw.



YouTube (mostly uploads of bullet hell shmups)
Clash of Clans = Town Hall 11, Level 151. Max balloons, max wizards, max P.E.K.K.A.'s, max golems, max witches, max valkyries, maxed base except for walls and heroes. Crimson Reborn fighting.
Male
USA
Seen December 27th, 2021
Posted July 4th, 2014
322 posts
9.8 Years
The only issue with video games is that they have the possibility to consume a lot of your time. Unlike movies and tv shows that only last 30 minutes to a couple hours, games can last for 50+ hours. If you can balance the time you play video games with the rest of your life then they can be a lot of fun. You can watch what happens in a show/movie, but you can control what happens in a video game. They can be very engaging and your mind working, depending on the game.
I don't use "uber" Pokémon, I don't calculate stat values, I don't use cheating devices, I don't breed my way to perfection, and I don't care about natures. I catch my Pokemon the way they are, and treat them like individuals instead of brainless drones. If you use this philosophy, copy & paste this into your signature.