131 réponses à ce sujet

[aidron]

Probably, yes. I do not really know any other gamers, but I'm quite adept at defending my love of them by way of comparison. They are just like any great book or movie for me as they invovle a wonderful story, albeit it is an interactive process which I find more appealing than simply sitting back and being told what is/has happened.

What becomes really interesting with people who push too hard on this is that they seem very intent on invading my life in this respect, yet I really never give a thought to what other people do to obtain enjoyment or how they spend their time. 

[Kealvis1]

It's just been generally accepted in my community that someone enjoy video games more than others. People really don't mind anymore.

[SilverApollo]

I've never had to defend gaming as a hobby, but I have had to defend certain purchases like a new video card and such before, usually just results in me saying "it's for my hobby that I enjoy, and it's my money so, shove off" kind of thing.

[RiianTheBrute]

A valid hobby indeed!

[nisallik]

NewYears1978 wrote...

Let me explain the question.  It has come up again recently with my obsession with Dragon Age: Origins, but it applies to gaming in general.

Do you constantly have to defend yourself from friends and/or family about your gaming hobby? 
Do you have friends/family who are not gamers that do not understand?

I ask because my wife is not a gamer, and she doesn't quite get it, my parents also never really understood.  Most of my friends are non-gamers as well and they don't get it either.  I constantly have to defend gaming as a valid hobby.  I ask them how is it differnt than when they spend hours reading books, or playing Golf, or watching TV?

Anyone else have this problem?  I thought it was a good question, not sure if it has been discussed before.

Thankfully, my wife is a gamer so I am able to play games all day.  At work it is a different story,  I'm an outcast as I don't play NCAA Football, make a fantasy football team, watch sports, go to the bars, etc.  Oh well. ;p

[Daerdor]

I started gaming when I was a little kid, and from that moment on my family saw it as a complete waste of time...
When everyone was playing outside on a sunny day I was the one who darkened the room in order to see the screen :innocent:
My parents back then even restricted my gaming time to certain days. This led to an opposite effect since during the time I wasn't allowed to game I was reading game manuals and planning ahead in order to make the most out of the little gaming time I was given. So yes, back then I was always on the defensive.

Several of my friends were also avid gamers but now we've all gotten married, have kids, ... and nearly all of them gave up on gaming except me

My wife doesn't understand it, or better, she doesn't want to understand it ... However, I have come to a point in life where I figured out I don't need to be on the defensive anymore. Gaming is what I do and what I will be doing for the rest of my life, period. People around me don't question it anymore either, they've come to accept it.

The next step will be to transfer the gaming microbe so I started showing Commander Keen to my kids of age 3 and 4 and they like it ... a bit longer and we can revolt against my wife

[Supremelackey]

Daerdor wrote...

I started gaming when I was a little kid, and from that moment on my family saw it as a complete waste of time...
When everyone was playing outside on a sunny day I was the one who darkened the room in order to see the screen :innocent:
My parents back then even restricted my gaming time to certain days. This led to an opposite effect since during the time I wasn't allowed to game I was reading game manuals and planning ahead in order to make the most out of the little gaming time I was given. So yes, back then I was always on the defensive.

Several of my friends were also avid gamers but now we've all gotten married, have kids, ... and nearly all of them gave up on gaming except me

My wife doesn't understand it, or better, she doesn't want to understand it ... However, I have come to a point in life where I figured out I don't need to be on the defensive anymore. Gaming is what I do and what I will be doing for the rest of my life, period. People around me don't question it anymore either, they've come to accept it.

The next step will be to transfer the gaming microbe so I started showing Commander Keen to my kids of age 3 and 4 and they like it ... a bit longer and we can revolt against my wife

I have the same thoughts when my mom restricted my gaming time.  It makes the precious time i get seem like the forbidden fruit, and i only want to play more.  I read somewhere that if someone has an addiction, Cutting off playing time is one of the worst ways you can go about it. 

Not saying anyone here is an addict of course:whistle:

[Bob the Insane]

Gaming, especially on consoles, i think may be a valid entertainment choice rather than a hobby these days.

PC gaming may, I guess, be qualified a hobby simply because of the additional investment and skills required to keep that over-clocked ninja home build PC ticking over without buring the house down. Also most people don't have a PC hooked up to the big screen TV in the lounge...

Personally I see no difference between spending a couple of hours bashing trough something on my PS3 or my PC and spending the same amount of time in front of the TV watching an NCIS marathon...

Of course the level of pushback these dys is nothing compared to when i was a kid, not to mention my illicit AD&D habit..

Modifié par Bob the Insane, 16 octobre 2009 - 03:02 .

[valleyman88]

Bob the Insane wrote...

Gaming, especially on consoles, i think may be a valid entertainment choice rather than a hobby these days.

PC gaming may, I guess, be qualified a hobby simply because of the additional investment and skills required to keep that over-clocked ninja home build PC ticking over without buring the house down. Also most people don't have a PC hooked up to the big screen TV in the lounge...

Personally I see no difference between spending a couple of hours bashing trough something on my PS3 or my PC and spending the same amount of time in front of the TV watching an NCIS marathon...

Of course the level of pushback these dys is nothing compared to when i was a kid, not to mention my illicit AD&D habit..

I've been gaming on the PC for more than 15 years now, and I still don't know much about computers, it's not a requirement.

Also, not every PC gamer uses a "over-clocked ninja home build PC" and I resent the stereotype! I would buy a over-clocked ninja home build PC if I had the money though, it magically increases the length of your penis.

[LdyShayna]

While this is neat and all, it is really more appropriate to Off Topic, so I'm moving it there.

[Ciller]

PandaThief wrote...

my mom also is a control freak, hell she would freak if she knew i was talken to all of you because she thinks you all will rape me-_0

Well - she may not be too far off *wink wink*

[TheFireInHeaven]

Life is a game. By forgetting our true selves for a bit, and making a character here, on Earth, we are able to experience things in different ways, and grow as a soul. I see video games as an extension of that. We are able to see such fantastic and wonderful things, and grow as a person, while still engaged in the main storyline of our life.

[FerretGirl]

Servant of Nature wrote...

My father is the reason I game today(I sat on his lap and he taught me how to play Baldur's Gate), and my boyfriend is an avid gamer as well, though he prefers RTS/FPS games to RPGs.

Are you sure we're not related ? Because it's exactly the same for me. My dad got me into gaming before I could even read and I somehow got myself a great boyfriend who share my love for gaming. Heck I even got a grand-father who play a healer and raid regulary in WoW.

Modifié par FerretGirl, 16 octobre 2009 - 04:18 .

[Ciller]

99.9% of nerd girls typically find an awesome nerd guy. 0.01% of nerd guys find an awesome nerd girl.



It's science!

[FerretGirl]

99.9% of nerd girls typically find an awesome nerd guy. 0.01% of nerd guys find an awesome nerd girl.

It's science!

lol
I wish I'd known that when I was in my teens.

Modifié par FerretGirl, 16 octobre 2009 - 04:27 .

[PdPstyle]

I run enough different circles that I have not had a problem with having to defend my hobbie. My woman gives me the evil eye from time to time about games. But other than that none of my family or friends care as I do spend a healthy amount of time away from the games.

[NewYears1978]

Ciller wrote...

99.9% of nerd girls typically find an awesome nerd guy. 0.01% of nerd guys find an awesome nerd girl.

It's science!

Haha, I love it.

[AgentGeej]

Fortunatly I married a gal from my weekly roleplaying group ^^

But when it comes to computer games she's admitted its no different to my reading



"It keeps you out my hair for a few hours in the evening without you whining about being bored"

[seb__]

s4nder wrote...

Don't get me wrong, it _is_ bad

How?

Sorry for the late answer.

I don't want to say that gaming is basically evil, like women or politicians, but you have to admit that its kind of dangerous sometimes.
Like beer. It's your friend, but if you get too much of it, you could get in trouble. And if you get too much of it everyday you WILL get problems for sure.

There's only a small percentage of players out there who really lost their wifes or their jobs because they just didn't care about anything anymore, and played their favorite game all the time, in most cases MMOs, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It's only a small percentage, of course, but thats only the worst case scenario. There are much more people out there who are close to that, but didn't do the last step, and perhaps, will never do it, if they're lucky. But they have some troubles because of it sometimes (with wife/work/friends/family/neighbours/alien invaders).

Of course, gaming has much positive aspects too, there are many listed in this thread already and i fully agree with them. But you just can't say that gaming is always good for you, your brain, your INT and WIS. You can play as much as you want to, you won't become the second Einstein because of it.

Like with everything else, there good things about gaming, and bad things. Especially when you play too much.

Just my two cents.

[Limafoxtrot]

It's about balance - OP - you said obsession with DA:O - maybe that means you are a little to into it. Most people that know me know I game. The wife thinks I probably play too much - but I'm like what is really the difference if after work I play games during prime time or watch American idol, survivor and CSI?? I think that it helps I mostly play on xbox where there is a fairly big social element with friends you talk to makes it more normal to her.

That said - I also do other thing with family in friends so I think there is a balance. But you should have to defend yourself or feel self conscious. Friends should accept who you are, but it also means you have to be comfortable with who you are.

Modifié par Limafoxtrot, 16 octobre 2009 - 06:46 .

[NewYears1978]

Good posts above, agreed it can be dangerous..it's all about how you control yourself and your time. Balance like limafoxtrot said. I've learned that balance now, when used to there was no balance..there was not even a scale. I just gamed all the time =)

[SpiffymanXD]

I do defend my love for gaming most dont understand but i tell them I love video games for the stories and how playing them i enjoy escaping to this made belive world.

[Lifter82]

After some years of explaining and justifying my gaming habits and gaming in general I stoped caring about  others opinions. Some people are just too ignorant, stupid or stubborn, or any combination of those. If they can´t relate to it because they didn´t grow up with "this stuff" they sometimes just can´t be reasoned with.

Do you guy´s know the look´s people give you when you drop some internet slang by accident? Like you just turned into an balloonheaded alien and they just stand there, suddenly paralyzed, staring and waiting for your head to pop.
Maybe I am this balloonheaded alien but where is the love for the nerds!


Sidenote: The balloonheaded alien is metaphorical and I´m sorry if any baloonheaded alien feels offended by this.

Modifié par Lifter82, 17 octobre 2009 - 09:19 .

[SpiffymanXD]

i am offended my ppl get **** all the time

[NewYears1978]

SpiffymanXD wrote...

i am offended my ppl get **** all the time

Lol...I hear that.