"But it's pointless..."

[Oryx]

[03:42] [+Toujours] it's basically a bunch of minigames that you combine to cook things
[03:42] [+Toujours] like chop up things, stir things, tenderize meat, etc etc and then in the end you have a stew
[03:43] [+Toujours] I miss that game
[03:43] [+Toujours] I wonder if I have it somewhere
[03:43] [CWP] ...
[03:43] [CWP] What are you talking about
[03:43] [+Toujours] cooking mama, CWP
[03:43] [CWP] Why you no do it irl?
[03:43] [+Toujours] because it's easier on the game
[03:43] [Zet] ^
[03:43] [CWP] But its pointless..
[03:43] [+Toujours] like all games
[03:43] [+Toujours] right?​

This log in #tpc today made me think about games in general, the whole "it's pointless" aspect that a lot of non-gamers and even some gamers say about video games. Why do we spend so much time doing something so pointless? I generally see two arguments to this - one argument is to point to studies that show video games have a positive effect on different aspects of life, while another is to point to all the other "pointless" activities that people participate in for recreation.

Do you use either of these arguments when faced with someone claiming video games are pointless? Or another entirely?

On a related note, do you find video games a pointless distraction, or do you see a point to them beyond mindless entertainment?

 

[CarefulWetPaint]

Hey thats me!

I meant that cooking in that game is pointless as you do all the actions of cooking in real life but you don't get to eat the food you make! Seriously, why cook if you don't get to eat it!

Most the games I play are violent games that I enjoy cause its a way to let of steam without actually hurting things irl etc so I see a point in it as kind of stress relief. Also I do enjoy the kind of history/story telling games have. Games like Assassins Creed really get me because of the slight historical aspect it has and the fact its a story. It's like reading a book but instead of reading you're playing it!

 

[Kura]

I don't think those types of games are pointless.. they're engaging! They're fun like any other game!
I mean.. one of the most classic "pointless" games is tetris! You clear a line.. more blocks come. You can clear it forever and ever and more blocks will just keep coming. There is no story, no beginning middle or end. It's as pointless as you can get but it is still challenging and enjoyable :3

 

[Rivvon]

Video games are an art form and as such can be used either to be pointless fun or to get a message across and change the way people view things. Just because it is an interactive media in which some actions can be replicated in real life doesn't make it any more pointless than literature, theatre, or music.

The fact that they are interactive actually makes them far more versatile than other forms of media we have today--this is evidenced in how some military use video games to teach soldiers how to fly planes, or how they use specially-made games to help soldiers overcome their post-traumatic stress disorders.

 

[Cherrim]

I don't see video games as any more or less pointless than watching TV or movies or even reading books. It's something to do with your free time and there are some benefits to them, like the hand-eye coordination thing that Team Fail mentioned as well as teaching you problem solving, reading (if you're younger and playing plot-based games), multi-tasking and so on. I think video games are a bit of a dangerous past time because it's much easier (in my experience) to get addicted to them compared to other hobbies but if you know how to handle yourself and can recognize when you're falling into bad habits, I think there's an excellent hobby.

I meant that cooking in that game is pointless as you do all the actions of cooking in real life but you don't get to eat the food you make! Seriously, why cook if you don't get to eat it!

'Cause in Cooking Mama it takes all of 60 seconds to make a meal and you can restart instantly if you mess up, meaning it's not too disappointing when you fail, whereas making the same things irl takes hours and if you messed up at some point, it's just depressing at the end. :P

 

[Dying Light]

Agreed.

I don't see video games as any more or less pointless than watching TV or movies or even reading books. It's something to do with your free time and there are some benefits to them, like the hand-eye coordination thing that Team Fail mentioned as well as teaching you problem solving, reading (if you're younger and playing plot-based games), multi-tasking and so on. I think video games are a bit of a dangerous past time because it's much easier (in my experience) to get addicted to them compared to other hobbies but if you know how to handle yourself and can recognize when you're falling into bad habits, I think there's an excellent hobby.

'Cause in Cooking Mama it takes all of 60 seconds to make a meal and you can restart instantly if you mess up, meaning it's not too disappointing when you fail, whereas making the same things irl takes hours and if you messed up at some point, it's just depressing at the end. :P

I agree. I find video games in general, a hobby. Nothing more, nothing less. If you have free time, are bored, and have nothing else better to do, then I say why not. There are various interpretations as to what the gamer is today. Maybe if more people actually tried video games, they might enjoy them.

There was an article I saw awhile ago about a researcher who was able to get his grandmother hooked on World of Warcraft. Then, come to find out, it proved beneficial. She was taking naps more often, and it improved her motor skills.

Never once have I disliked video games. Nor will I ever.

An interesting incentive in Hell's Kitchen for the Nintendo DS is the ability to unlock real life recipes for you to peruse.

 

[Alice]

I think games only become pointless when you no longer enjoy them, but feel obligated to continue playing to achieve some sort of goal.

So, COD and every MMO ever. lol

 

[Megaman3007]

Its not pointless if the person doing it is enjoying it. Thats my motto.

 

[Sydian]

Because it's fun! It's surprising that the simplest games can be the most fun, such as Viva Pinata or Harvest Moon. They're just relaxing, even though gardening and farming irl are a lot harder. They're still great games to play and you can just relax and chill out and not have to worry about boss battles or something.

As for other games, they're still fun too. idk. I don't see how people can write off video games as being pointless. They're more immersive than, say, watching a movie or reading a book. To me, anyway. I mean, you're actually playing and you're in the action. Your actions are dictating what else will happen in the game or how far things will go. Movies and books aren't like that. You watch or read them, respectively, and everything has been done for you, more so in movies than in books. So if some big movie goer ever told me video games are pointless, I'd probably ask them what is so fulfilling about watching a movie. Games get you to accomplish things, and although I will say that sometimes people take it a step too far and immerse themselves too much, it's still nice to achieve something, even if it is fictional. I hope this makes sense...and I hope my movie and book comment didn't offend anyone that enjoys them.

 

[Kanto_Johto]

Nothing that brings you happiness and self satisfaction is pointless. It's like saying going to an amusement park or going on holiday is pointless because it'll eventually finish. At the end of the day, you enjoyed yourself. Same applies with video games.