Is it ever fruitless?

[Dragon]

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?

 

[Flushed]

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.

 

[«Chuckles»]

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

 

[TY]

I play them cause they are a lot of fun and they can give you a challenge, so they arent entirely pointless imo. You can do many things in video games you wouldnt do in real life.

 

[PMG]

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.

 

[pokemasta92]

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.

 

[Dansparce]

I mainly use video games as an escape from the real world. Why worry about school when I can play Pokemon?

And like everyone else, I also play video games for fun.

 

[T!M]

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.

 

[Aeroblast]

Video games are supposed to be a time sink that provides entertainment.

 

[Puddle]

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]

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.

 

[Tlachtli]

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."

 

[LilyAnn]

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.

 

[pokemasta92]

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.

 

[Calamitastrophe]

I think we gain something. We get concepts and ideas from video games (or any work of fiction, really).

Also, it's hella fun.

 

[Hyzenthlay]

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.

 

[Satoshi Ookami]

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.

 

[CliCliW]

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.

https://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:

 

[Hiatus]

I play them just to kill time, honestly. I know there's a lot of other things I could do, but I prefer to play video games because, well… to me, it's just simply entertaining!

 

[Starry Windy]

I get fun and happiness when playing Video Games, so I didn't buy it in vain.