Videogames

[Lumina]

I would say that books are much more numerous than videogames, and while most books are trash, there is no denying that there exists an immense body of literature that is worth reading

Of course, but you have to admit books have been here for a long time to get to that amount of quality. Video games are very new compared to history. Give it some time !

I understand that you can reject most of the games, but why reject the medium itself ? There are so many possibilities given by the immersion and interaction, to create new and interesting experiences. Whether or not the creators are using this potential yet is another question... But I don't understand how someone as literate and opened as you are (from what I can see on this forum) can be so closed on that point (no offense by that, I'm just trying to understand !)

Saying that all videogames are crap without experiencing some of the best games from the beginning to the end could be the same that people saying that fashion is superficial and meaningless. Or someone who says that fashion is shit knowing only Dolce & Gabbana (to take an exemple you seem to appreciate ). There are so much more when you dig, but it takes a little research to go further and uncover the pearls, in the case of fashion, brands like we all appreciate here. I think it is the same for video games. Do you see what I mean ?


For exemple, games like Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, Katamari, or Flower, are truly worth trying, as it provides an experience that no other medium could have achieved.

[Faust]

Lumina, you make a good point, and a far better analogy than theetruscan's fatuous comparison of videogames to books. I guess the only honest answer I can give you is that I could not be bothered immersing myself in the world of video games in order to find those rare gems you talk about. There are only so many hours in this life, and I prefer to spend them otherwise.

[Lumina]

Thanks for you honest answer, I understand better ! That is your choice, and you can absolutely do whatever you want with your time of course. But please don't say that there isn't or will never be gems in this medium ! Lots of craps hide the good ones like in many areas ! If one day you decide to seek, you may be surprised.

[kuugaia]

^^^ That is a wise choice. 2000 hours of World of Warcraft later, here I am and regretting...

edit: that was for Faust's post.

[tomatous]

I don't really see how anyone can compare books to video games. They are two completely different things, that I feel can peacefully coexist..

No point in denying that video games are just as big a part of our culture as movies or music. They are ever evolving and some of the new technology on the horizon is mind blowing. Since the induction of the nintendo wii, it has changed the game by getting kids off of the couch and even has become a tool in providing purposeful activity to geriatric populations in the rehabilitative settings.

So while I find it silly for a video game thread to pop up here on sz, those are just my two cents. There are plenty of outlets on the web for all your video game needs. Unless you wish to discuss style inspirations taken from video games, which there is already a thread for.

I found this particularly awesome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MM_Q0nfaG0

Lumina shadow of the colossus was a great game :)

[DRRRK]

Lumina, you make a good point, and a far better analogy than theetruscan's fatuous comparison of videogames to books. I guess the only honest answer I can give you is that I could not be bothered immersing myself in the world of video games in order to find those rare gems you talk about. There are only so many hours in this life, and I prefer to spend them otherwise.

I couldn't have said it better.

I am confused how this discussion has developed. I want to put one thing right:
The comparison of books and games was originally brought up to defend games (from the accusation of isolating people from society, which is not really an accusation, but a proofed fact of numerous researches. Maybe it was unnecessary to mention it in this thread). This comparison was declared as unfitting by the people who don't get the fascination of video games. Actually that's all.

[Bubu]

Ico
Wanda and the Colossus
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Bioshock
Half-Life 2
Resident Evil 4
Bayonetta
Devil May Cry
Final Fantasy VI
Super Mario Brothers
The Darkness
Heavenly Sword
Beyond Good & Evil
Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven
Max Payne & The Fall of Max Payne
God of War
God Hand
Dead Space

Looking forward to Heavy Rain.

[interest1]

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[kuugaia]

Ico
Wanda and the Colossus
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Bioshock
Half-Life 2
Resident Evil 4
Bayonetta
Devil May Cry
Final Fantasy VI
Super Mario Brothers
The Darkness
Heavenly Sword
Beyond Good & Evil
Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven
Max Payne & The Fall of Max Payne
God of War
God Hand
Dead Space

Looking forward to Heavy Rain.

I'm assuming this is your HOF of games. Any reason you chose VI out of all the entire series ? Or were you just missing one 'I'

[Bubu]

Yes yes it's my creme de la creme.

Nope not a mistake. VI is underrated. VII is just overrated.

Also, Click for some Joy.

[mortalveneer]

(from the accusation of isolating people from society, which is not really an accusation, but a proofed fact of numerous researches. Maybe it was unnecessary to mention it in this thread).

I had no idea you could PROVE anything in sociological/behavioural research. I'd be interested in a link to the relevant journal articles asserting such. Or any articles (outside of the disciplines that lend themselves more thoroughly to axioms) that claim to have proven causality. Such a statement is typically laughable.

If said research was simply describing a correlation between isolating oneself and playing videogames, and subsequently suggesting one causal explanation with hopefully strong supporting evidence, that'd be another thing.

As stated several posts back, I don't personally believe we can BLAME the games for these peoples' addictive, or hermitic (not hermetic) tendencies. Perhaps they enable them to more fully indulge these tendencies, but let's give a little credit to self-responsibility here. At the numerous times in my life I've been carrying a little extra weight, I have never BLAMED the craft beer, italian wine, and fine (& not-so-fine) cuisine that led to the increased body fat percentage. It was MY choices initially that led me down that road.

[mortalveneer]

The anti-video game stance in this thread is so absurd.

Haven't any of you ever wanted to jump inside a book and walk around in your favourite fantasy universe or interact with your favourite heroes and villains?

Video games offer a story telling medium that is unlike anything else because it gives you the ability to take part and interact with a story as it unfolds.

i liked the choose your own adventure books...

FtB, you read my mind. I see videogames as a more-modern version of choose-your-own-adventure books...I can remember as a small kid sitting with my back to the wall in the library paging through those books (and occasionally cheating, keeping the last page marked in case I didn't like the way my choice turned out).

[DRRRK]

I had no idea you could PROVE anything in sociological/behavioural research. I'd be interested in a link to the relevant journal articles asserting such. Or any articles (outside of the disciplines that lend themselves more thoroughly to axioms) that claim to have proven causality. Such a statement is typically laughable.

If said research was simply describing a correlation between isolating oneself and playing videogames, and subsequently suggesting one causal explanation with hopefully strong supporting evidence, that'd be another thing.

As stated several posts back, I don't personally believe we can BLAME the games for these peoples' addictive, or hermitic (not hermetic) tendencies. Perhaps they enable them to more fully indulge these tendencies, but let's give a little credit to self-responsibility here. At the numerous times in my life I've been carrying a little extra weight, I have never BLAMED the craft beer, italian wine, and fine (& not-so-fine) cuisine that led to the increased body fat percentage. It was MY choices initially that led me down that road.

Please google "Video game addiction". I may not prove it scientifically and I don't even want to.
And please don't try to start an argument or splitting hairs when there is more consensus than you think. I don't BLAME games, the tendencies have to be there of course. I am not talking about you or anybody else here, so there is no need to get overly defensive. Be sure, I have some people I know in mind when I say these things.

[mortalveneer]

I too know people who are hopelessly addicted to video games to the detriment of other things in their life, but I don't see games as the root CAUSE. That's all I was trying to say.

And a consensus of the potentially uninformed/irrational is meaningless. Citing a consensus based on a google search of internet opinion doesn't really say much at all. A consensus in and of itself can be completely false if the people who make up said consensus don't have the proper information, or are irrational. By checking for "an internet consensus", one is setting oneself up for just that, as many of these people don't have any authority on the subject of addictions, or moreso, the causes of these addictions, so referencing such a consensus doesn't inherently lend any weight to a statement.

[DRRRK]

Agreed.