Do you think video games are ultimately a time waster or just a wholesome form of escapism entertainment?  I'm over 56 hours into Zelda and I swear it takes several hours just to finish one dungeon. It's fun, but I'll start at around 9pm and then glance at the clock and its 1230 or 1am.  Am I having fun or wasting my life away or both?  What is your view on the medium that is video games and how do they affect your life if at all? 

no matter what you do you're just killing time until you die. as long as you're having fun, who gives a shit

this weekend i actually played and enjoyed a video game, true story (it was animal crossing)

I don't play video games but I too shall one day die.

I don't know if I forgot to mention, in my renunciation of video games, my first DVD player was a PS2 (so I could watch Twin Peaks Season 1.)

Someone recommended Rayman to me at a used disc store because I had only ever played Batman and Tetris on GameBoy and anything that wasn't side-scrolling intimidated me.

I had my wisdom teeth out and got a dry socket so I had lots of Percoset. Let me tell you... I mastered all the Rayman games, high as a kite. Event the 2-D ones. Time well spent (as far as druggy time goes.)

I love video games, and as far as I'm concerned this world is hard enough to deal with without feeling guilty about enjoying the things you love (be they video games, fine wine or David Lynch movies).

The way I see it, they may be a waste of time, but so is parking yourself in front of the TV with a beer in your hand and watching sports all day. Something which millions of people find perfectly acceptable to do (although I personally don't get).

I love video games, and as far as I'm concerned this world is hard enough to deal with without feeling guilty about enjoying the things you love (be they video games, fine wine or David Lynch movies).

The way I see it, they may be a waste of time, but so is parking yourself in front of the TV with a beer in your hand and watching sports all day. Something which millions of people find perfectly acceptable to do (although I personally don't get).

 one of the thing that flat-out ruined them for me is someone once pointed out that all it is, is pushing buttons to change the colors the CRT is currently displaying. and it's true, no matter which game. it's even more pointless than most things.

 "one of the thing that flat-out ruined them for me is someone once pointed out that all it is, is pushing buttons to change the colors the CRT is currently displaying. and it's true, no matter which game. it's even more pointless than most things."

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True, although one could say the same thing about Internet message boards....  

lol    

Yeah, video games are a time waster, just as TV, computer, books and dvds.  The question is : Did you enjoy yourself?  Thats all that matters.  We need escapism in our lives or we will go insane (or more insane). 

I still have my PS2 and as long as I got my Madden and MLB:The Show, I'm a happy guy!

Been a gamer since my early childhood, my PS3 is great, well needed after the stresses of the day. Own FIFA 09, SD vs Raw 09, Legends of Wrestlemania, Call of Duty: World at War and MGS4: Guns of the Patriots.

The end sequence in MGS4 is awesome...I went through 2 joints watching it, it lasts 67 f'n minutes!

Yeah, video games are a time waster, just as TV, computer, books and dvds.  The question is : Did you enjoy yourself?  Thats all that matters.  We need escapism in our lives or we will go insane (or more insane). 

That's the key right there. Video games can be detrimental if all a person ever does is play video games and doesn't get out and do other stuff. But if video games are used just like any other form of entertainment, there's nothing wrong with it at all. I don't go out and party on the weekends anymore, so my evenings on the weekends are free for whatever I feel the urge to do. Most of the time I play World of Warcraft. (But I wouldn't turn down an invitation for something on those nights - I'm not antisocial!) I figure that since I hold down a full-time salaried job, I manage 3 classes per school term with a 4.0 every term, I pay my bills on time, I keep my house clean, I keep myself clean, I keep my cats clean...therefore video games are doing nothing to detract from my life, and they're perfectly fine to engage in when the urge strikes.

I would play video games if I hadn't dropped my PS2 on the floor.

In terms of timewasting, they can't be much worse than movies -- I think someone who watched films the same number of hours per week as an average World of Warcraft player plays would be considered an aficianado, so long as it wasn't affecting their ability to live life.

At any rate, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was as much of a cultural milestone for me as Star Wars, Twin Peaks, the Sherlock Holmes stories...

At any rate, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was as much of a cultural milestone for me as Star Wars, Twin Peaks, the Sherlock Holmes stories...

 lol

I won Zelda last night (not that anyone cares).

I am definitely taking a hiatus from gaming since it chewed up virtually all of my night life.

I won Zelda last night (not that anyone cares).

I am definitely taking a hiatus from gaming since it chewed up virtually all of my night life.

 how'd you like that last boss fight

i thought it was a hoot, i always enjoy kicking the bejeesus out of ganon

I won Zelda last night (not that anyone cares).

I am definitely taking a hiatus from gaming since it chewed up virtually all of my night life.

 how'd you like that last boss fight

i thought it was a hoot, i always enjoy kicking the bejeesus out of ganon

I was worried about it going into it, but I thought it was easier than some of the other bosses.  I struggled mightily against the one on the Snowpeak Ruins for some reason.  When I hit Ganon for the last time, I thought it was going to be a cutscene of him transforming again into a new monster.  I was like, that's it?  I love beating Ganondorf.  Did you get all 24 bugs and 60 poe souls?
 

I was worried about it going into it, but I thought it was easier than some of the other bosses.  I struggled mightily against the one on the Snowpeak Ruins for some reason.  When I hit Ganon for the last time, I thought it was going to be a cutscene of him transforming again into a new monster.  I was like, that's it?  I love beating Ganondorf.  Did you get all 24 bugs and 60 poe souls?
 

 fuck no, the game was good but there's no way

lol   

On an unrelated note, this place has been lame for about a week or two.  Where is the passion and effort people?!?!?!?

It's spring break season, j. Take a fucking pill.

lol   
 

"I'm not one to feel the need to get every single thing in a game if you can win it without doing so."

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The closest I ever came to that sort of thing was finding all the hidden packages in GTA 3, all the tikis in Vice City and doing all the graffitti tags in San Andreas.

On an unrelated note, this place has been lame for about a week or two.  Where is the passion and effort people?!?!?!?

It's spring break season, j. Take a fucking pill.I forgot we were all still in high school on here and get spring break.  *slaps forehead*  My bad.
 

Normally I'd get pissy and tell you to eat a bag of dicks, but then I remember I'm not the one who continually whines at the rest of the board for not living up to my expectations of constant entertainment.

Love ya, man. But you're high maintenance.

On an unrelated note, this place has been lame for about a week or two.  Where is the passion and effort people?!?!?!?

It's spring break season, j. Take a fucking pill.I forgot we were all still in high school on here and get spring break.  *slaps forehead*  My bad.
 

Normally I'd get pissy and tell you to eat a bag of dicks, but then I remember I'm not the one who continually whines at the rest of the board for not living up to my expectations of constant entertainment.

Love ya, man. But you're high maintenance.

That made me laugh.  I am a high maintenance b*tch.
 

You are indeed. :) But you're good like that. I think if you stopped nagging us, we'd wonder if you'd taken sick.