I have a friend who just won't/can't play video games. For him his free time needs to be productive so his hobbies are things like woodwork and making his own beef jerky (which is actually very good). To him, if he has to have something to show for his time, and trophies and achievements just aren't enough.

I wish I could replace gaming with having sex. But my girlfriend isn't available that often.

But yeah, I've always found gaming to be the most enjoyable way to kill time, other than that. Nothing like getting sucked into another world and going on an adventure on your TV screen.

I posted a blog explaining just how it could be done, but I can't find it now. Maybe I imagined posting it. Anyway, creation beats consumption anytime in any context. Hell, I'd rather be washing dishes than playing vidya games. Though there is creativity involved in playing a vidya game, just as there is in reading, so washing dishes as well as playing vidya games and reading would be okay I suppose. I wish I could wash some dishes...

While searching for this mystery blog I discovered several amusing moments, including this: I still can't believe how there is anything hard to understand about this. WTF is wrong with you people? Boy, were we way off with our ratings, though, unless we're allowed to start going into negative numbers.

Also, Vader: "Hmm, thats funny cause I dont think I have ever seen a platformer for PC." You've always been batanii crazy bro. <3

Aspro: "You need to write a book.  I'd buy it for sure."

I've written many, many books. None non-fiction, though (that are yet completed). And the non-fiction book is part of a fictional story. Still want to buy them? Because I can send you the doc files for the low, low price of a first edition hard cover each any day. Hell, you could even commission me to write a book like this which is what you were clamouring for and sign me onto a demoralising contract that emotionally crushes me and makes you rich. It's up to you.

Edit:

Actually, I've written quite a non-fictional books too (depending on your definition). It's easy to forget these things.

Edit 2:

I found the blog in question, but I edited out the secret to not playing vidya games three years ago so it now just contains an objective statement about BaT.

Foolz said:

I posted a blog explaining just how it could be done, but I can't find it now. Maybe I imagined posting it. Anyway, creation beats consumption anytime in any context. Hell, I'd rather be washing dishes than playing vidya games. Though there is creativity involved in playing a vidya game, just as there is in reading, so washing dishes as well as playing vidya games and reading would be okay I suppose. I wish I could wash some dishes...

While searching for this mystery blog I discovered several amusing moments, including this: I still can't believe how there is anything hard to understand about this. WTF is wrong with you people? Boy, were we way off with our ratings, though, unless we're allowed to start going into negative numbers.

Also, Vader: "Hmm, thats funny cause I dont think I have ever seen a platformer for PC." You've always been batanii crazy bro. <3

Aspro: "You need to write a book.  I'd buy it for sure."

I've written many, many books. None non-fiction, though (that are yet completed). And the non-fiction book is part of a fictional story. Still want to buy them? Because I can send you the doc files for the low, low price of a first edition hard cover each any day. Hell, you could even commission me to write a book like this which is what you were clamouring for and sign me onto a demoralising contract that emotionally crushes me and makes you rich. It's up to you.

Edit:

Actually, I've written quite a non-fictional books too (depending on your definition). It's easy to forget these things.

Edit 2:

I found the blog in question, but I edited out the secret to not playing vidya games three years ago so it now just contains an objective statement about BaT.

What the hell are you talking about

Ravenprose said:

I wish I could replace gaming completely with reading. I'd save a lot of money, and would read a lot more.

My dad never plays games; he spends his time being super religious and watching Fox News (sigh). My mom spends most of her free time trying new recipes. She's also addicted to Pinterest. My uncle watches baseball, football and sometimes golf, and complains whenever there isn't something to watch on TV.

I could see how older generations are not into gaming.  My brother is on the very border of Gen X- Baby Boomer and he missed out on "getting" gaming by just a couple of years.  I know many people his exact age and they were all the same when it came to gaming (they'd play some racing game or simple sport game at holiday events but beyond that just not get the appeal).

I wonder about people younger than that though.  Like it is just a certain group of us who have been around for the whole thing that are this rabid (and of course a larger group of younger poeple who willing self-identify with gaming who get into the history of it)?  I always assuemd that younger people would all have gaming as part of their lives, but it doesn't seem to be panning out that way.

Define "gamer".  If you count in simple iOS games and freecell on pc, almost everyone I know below the age of 60 is a gamer to some extent.  Seriously though, I can see how people would not find the time to game.  Heck, I've been a gamer for 25 years, and I don't find much time to game anymore.  So if you have an active enough social life it's easier to cut out gaming then to not tag along to wherever it is everyone is going all the time.

I also think a lot of it is due to the reputation of games in general.  If stuff like Harvest moon or Viva Piniata were the face of gaming, instead of generic muscular dudebro, we'd see a lot more people taking the plunge.

And another reason is the rather high level of entry.  If you want to play any decent games, you have to shell out at least €150 just to buy the dedicated hardware.  TV and books are just cheaper.

The notion that being creative is automatically greater then consuming is something I do not agree with.  As someone who has to be more or less creative in his job, I can really value consuming something created by others.

aspro said:

What I get to show for my time is a rich and deep understanding of video games.  But that is useless except for boring Mrs. Aspro, Tom Towers and occassionally you guys.

Yeah, that annoys me too.  If only my surroundings could appreciate what an untapped resource of awesome knowledge I really am.  I only suck at quizzes because they don't ask the right questions.

edgecrusher said:

I wish I could replace gaming with having sex. But my girlfriend isn't available that often.

Her loss I say, what's stopping you?

SupremeAC said:

Foolz said:

Having to be creative negates much of the positive value of creativity. Having to consume also negates much of the positive value of consumption. At least your job doesn't combine the two. Then you'd be in trouble.

Either way, it's a matter of taste and circumstance. Not everyone would prefer to create than consume and vice versa, similarly the confusion as to why everyone doesn't play videogames is absurd. Why would they?

I'm not saying that by being creative in my job, I don't want to be creative in my free time.  I'm just saying that knowing what it is to create something from scratch, I feel that I can get more joy out of looking at/ experiencing other people's creations.

Okay, your sentence was cut off randomly.

But yeah, the jist of my reply was why should you prefer creativity over consumption? You shouldn't, and you don't; just as the opposite might be true for someone else.

SupremeAC said:

...

I also think a lot of it is due to the reputation of games in general.  If stuff like Harvest moon or Viva Piniata were the face of gaming, instead of generic muscular dudebro, we'd see a lot more people taking the plunge.

And another reason is the rather high level of entry.  If you want to play any decent games, you have to shell out at least €150 just to buy the dedicated hardware.  TV and books are just cheaper.

...

Good points.  It's sad that so many of our games, even the great ones, still come down to violence (like most movies and books, but still I get your point).  Accessibility is not just a barrier on price either.  We take 14 button controllers for granted, most would be intimidated by them.

aspro said:

Anyone, once exposed to the breadth of video games, should be able to find some aspect of the form that they cannot live without.  This could be playing Sudoku on a DS, DDR on a PS1, GH on a PS2 or The Sims on PC.  There is somehting for everyone, therefore, there is no reason why anyone, once informed, shoudl not be enjoying video games.

Indeed, but the same applies to pretty much anything of this nature.