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Gaming and its illusions

Blogs > Starlightsun
Post a Reply
Starlightsun
Profile Blog Joined June 2016
United States1405 Posts
January 12 2019 22:51 GMT
#1
I used to enjoy games simply as an experience, but increasingly I tend to wonder why I play them. For me I think the answer is that they are the ultimate carrot on the stick experience. The carrot is the illusion of being competent and powerful. Unlike real life, there is a feeling that the time and effort I put into a game always brings a steady flow of results and rewards. Especially in RPGs, where every fight, even if it's trivial, goes towards that "level up".

But sometimes I step back and think about how I'm literally just interacting with a machine that is following a program someone wrote. The illusion is so compelling because the progress and competence feels permanent, like something that no one can take away (unlike say money earned in real life), but actually it is just a hardware failure or power outage away from disappearing. I guess I still have the skill of having learnt to navigate a particular game program, but that's never been useful and no longer even gives pride.

So I think for me the only value left in playing games is either the stories they have to tell, or the novelty of a cleverly crafted system. I think to be a game maker is to be like an illusionist... you must keep people chasing the carrot on the stick even though they are just interacting with a dumb machine (multiplayer excluded). I don't know, sometimes I just get the feeling that gaming is something I put an inordinate amount of time into and got back less than almost any other activity I can think of. I guess it's not so much different than other time wasters like sports or drugs. But if I could go back to when I was still a passionate youth who enjoyed things, I think I would steer clear of gaming and its great illusions to pursue activities more grounded in reality.

****
JimmyJRaynor
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Canada16679 Posts
Last Edited: 2019-01-13 00:40:23
January 13 2019 00:39 GMT
#2
On January 13 2019 07:51 Starlightsun wrote:
but actually it is just a hardware failure or power outage away from disappearing. I guess I still have the skill of having learnt to navigate a particular game program,


"once you unplug the machine the scores are gone forever."



Ray Kassar To David Crane : "you're no more important to Atari than the factory workers assembling the cartridges"
Starlightsun
Profile Blog Joined June 2016
United States1405 Posts
January 13 2019 00:43 GMT
#3
lol
NoS-Craig
Profile Joined July 2011
Australia3094 Posts
January 13 2019 04:23 GMT
#4
I still enjoy video games. Great way to kill time and relax when I'm not at work. Though I can understand where you are coming from. I try not to think about it too much. Instead, I go with the flow and enjoy.
Artosis loves Starcraft
TelecoM
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
United States10668 Posts
January 13 2019 13:57 GMT
#5
I feel this same way because I've spent the majority of my life gaming, like the above poster said, don't over analyze and just try to have fun, that is the most important part of a game.
AKA: TelecoM[WHITE] Protoss fighting
JosephWilson
Profile Joined January 2019
6 Posts
January 14 2019 11:55 GMT
#6
It's a good spending of time and relaxing for me.
Harris1st
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Germany6888 Posts
January 14 2019 14:28 GMT
#7
On January 13 2019 07:51 Starlightsun wrote:

So I think for me the only value left in playing games is either the stories they have to tell, or the novelty of a cleverly crafted system. I think to be a game maker is to be like an illusionist... you must keep people chasing the carrot on the stick even though they are just interacting with a dumb machine (multiplayer excluded). I don't know, sometimes I just get the feeling that gaming is something I put an inordinate amount of time into and got back less than almost any other activity I can think of. I guess it's not so much different than other time wasters like sports or drugs. But if I could go back to when I was still a passionate youth who enjoyed things, I think I would steer clear of gaming and its great illusions to pursue activities more grounded in reality.


Lol for putting sports and drugs in the same basket

There are some articles out there saying gaming can develop parts of your brain like logical thinking and stuff. So you kinda did level up in some departments
Go Serral! GG EZ for Ence. Flashbang dance FTW
Hollow
Profile Blog Joined July 2005
Canada2180 Posts
January 14 2019 17:12 GMT
#8
I wish all the time I spent on gaming after I turned 18 would have been spent reading instead. Gaming is always just an escape from reality, and it's not a very good one.
brickrd
Profile Blog Joined March 2014
United States4894 Posts
January 15 2019 03:21 GMT
#9
On January 14 2019 23:28 Harris1st wrote:
Show nested quote +
On January 13 2019 07:51 Starlightsun wrote:

So I think for me the only value left in playing games is either the stories they have to tell, or the novelty of a cleverly crafted system. I think to be a game maker is to be like an illusionist... you must keep people chasing the carrot on the stick even though they are just interacting with a dumb machine (multiplayer excluded). I don't know, sometimes I just get the feeling that gaming is something I put an inordinate amount of time into and got back less than almost any other activity I can think of. I guess it's not so much different than other time wasters like sports or drugs. But if I could go back to when I was still a passionate youth who enjoyed things, I think I would steer clear of gaming and its great illusions to pursue activities more grounded in reality.


Lol for putting sports and drugs in the same basket

There are some articles out there saying gaming can develop parts of your brain like logical thinking and stuff. So you kinda did level up in some departments

he seemed to be pointing out that sports, drugs and video games are three pretty common and distinct identity-shaping hobbies for young people to pursue. all three are just recreational activities which cause chemical responses in our brains
TL+ Member
brickrd
Profile Blog Joined March 2014
United States4894 Posts
January 15 2019 03:22 GMT
#10
On January 15 2019 02:12 Hollow wrote:
I wish all the time I spent on gaming after I turned 18 would have been spent reading instead. Gaming is always just an escape from reality, and it's not a very good one.

i'm very curious what you think the difference is unless you're exclusively referring to nonfiction reading
TL+ Member
Archeon
Profile Joined May 2011
3253 Posts
January 15 2019 14:11 GMT
#11
On January 15 2019 02:12 Hollow wrote:
I wish all the time I spent on gaming after I turned 18 would have been spent reading instead. Gaming is always just an escape from reality, and it's not a very good one.

Yeah I am kinda in the same boat. I don't mind that I gamed, but there's been a heavy imbalance for years where gaming and gaming related things like streams eat up 90% of my free time.
I love gaming, but tbh I feel like it stunted my growth especially in college.
low gravity, yes-yes!
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