StaceyPowers Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 I hear lots of people say games are for entertainment only, and should not be used to comment on current events, etc. I think games are just a medium of communication like books, movies, or music, and can be used to inform, entertain, persuade, criticize, train, serve as art, extend human experience, or any other purpose. I like devs to be honest about their purpose, but beyond that, I want them to do what is authentic to them. Does anyone else share this view? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 It depends on how you see them, seeing them as an entertainement tool is just one of opinion out of lot of opinions, i personally play games for both, entertainment and curiosity, there are always newer things to know about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shole Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 I don't think it should be an unpopular opinion, I am a coach and I always tell the parents it is not bad in moderation and to make sure they play games that will help them 😄 But I hate whne people say ugh its so damaging, well bruh everything is. Me playing pro basketball hurt my leg for the rest of my life. Doing things has risks, everything has risks god...you can't just pick something is good and something is bad all the time. There are so many millioners because of games XD killamch89 and Family sedan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m76 Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 I think games should be authentic period. If you aim to do a game set in a fictional future, don't drag commentary on current real world events into it. Sure games can be educational, and should be. They can build skills etc. But hiding propaganda in them is a disservice, and outright malicious. Especially in games aimed at children. The developers should always be very clear and transparent about their intentions. Never use games as a platform for piggybacking controversial messages. The Blackangel, killamch89 and Family sedan 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammerklavier Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 I wholeheartedly agree with you, Stacey. I have no idea why that should be an unpopular opinion, but in some circles, it is. As you mentioned, "video game" simply describes the creative medium, much like "book" or "music." It implies nothing about the content, quality or ambitions of that creative work. If I tell you that I read a book, it means nothing. It could be a work of great artistry. Or a "nonfiction" work full of misinformation. Or a dry, witty satire, a collection of crossword puzzles, a trashy romance, a silly irreverent comedy, an academic text, etc... Video games are no different, especially nowadays. In their present form of maturation, they've proven a legitimate art form capable of producing art as great as the finest paintings, operas, novels, etc... Family sedan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staticradio725 Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 And I think the general public is getting better at recognizing video games as such, as they become more mainstream and more people play them. Maybe someday this opinion won't be quite so unpopular anymore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane99 Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 I wouldn't say that's an unpopular opinion at all. I think for the most part, games do express ideas and emotions, and also can be political and have a message. I think people only have a problem, is when they start to force a message on someone, or an idea. As well, I think gamers know what to expect from the games they get. Family sedan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reality vs Adventure Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 It’s already becoming a medium for communication now that Facebook and Oculus are a package deal. Just don’t cry when the gaming world gets exploited. We have yet to see the boom in the gaming industry. I believe it will eventually be integrated in everyone’s lives in some way in the near future. When that time comes, we will need serious restrictions for the content available to kids. Because it will get more adult rated as the target audience expands. And as social media becomes integrated, predators will be there just like in internet and social media. Terrorists will be there. Hate will be there. XXX will be there. There is a lot of potentially good use for games, along with the bad. But it’s inevitable. Laws will be passed as the gaming industry gets big like social media. Gaming industry will hold more responsibility. Government may get mixed up in it at times. So just as we now have witnessed social media as the front lines of political blame, same will happen with games as it continues to get mixed up in social platforms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m76 Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 8 hours ago, Reality vs Adventure said: It’s already becoming a medium for communication now that Facebook and Oculus are a package deal. You act as if that's a good thing ?! Oculus products are off the table for me now. I want to escape reality in games, not connect it to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m76 Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 9 hours ago, Kane99 said: I wouldn't say that's an unpopular opinion at all. I think for the most part, games do express ideas and emotions, and also can be political and have a message. I think people only have a problem, is when they start to force a message on someone, or an idea. As well, I think gamers know what to expect from the games they get. As long as the ideas represented fit within the fictional universe and the theme of the game I Have no problem with it. But there is a certain subculture who wants every game to adhere to their sensibilities and ideologies. Even games that are set in historical times. For example changing Mafia that is set during the prohibition era to be "more in tune with the times" is a ridiculous idea. The only time that game should be in tune with is the 1930s. Cliché or not: Those who try to forget the past are doomed to repeat it. And I'm not trying to put rules on any developer. Just be clear about what you are doing, don't gaslight me with BS about female frontline soldiers in WWI for example. But if you are upfront about your intentions and don't try to sell it as historically accurate I'm game. I even prefer the option to be able to play as a female character. Like Assassin's Creed, where I love that half the roman soldiers are female. Since I'm not told that it is a historically accurate period piece, and if I disagree I'm a bigot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reality vs Adventure Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 16 minutes ago, m76 said: You act as if that's a good thing ?! Oculus products are off the table for me now. I want to escape reality in games, not connect it to them. Man if only stop means go and go means stop then what is good is bad and bad is good. If words had meaning, lines have little. Connect the dots and you find what you are looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m76 Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 12 minutes ago, Reality vs Adventure said: Man if only stop means go and go means stop then what is good is bad and bad is good. If words had meaning, lines have little. Connect the dots and you find what you are looking for. Sorry I Don'T know what I'm missing. All I see is some rambling about terrorists and predators which has zero connection with VR. Terrorists and predators don'T need VR they are already using the internet for malicious intent. All I'm concerned with is facebook trying to link my gaming habits to my personal account. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reality vs Adventure Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 11 minutes ago, m76 said: Sorry I Don'T know what I'm missing. All I see is some rambling about terrorists and predators which has zero connection with VR. Terrorists and predators don'T need VR they are already using the internet for malicious intent. All I'm concerned with is facebook trying to link my gaming habits to my personal account. When you have gaming mixed with social media like facebook, the game itself in multiplayer mode is an actual social gathering. You stand right in front of each other and see each other move; you talk too each other right inside the game environment. You network from there. That is where that facebook oculus combo is taking us. My sister has one. She is having a good time and meeting people in the game. Inside the actual gaming environment. You move around as an avatar, not your real face. In a way it's pretty cool; in another way it gets exploited just as I mentioned. Just a matter of time. And as the in game networking experience gets more advanced, you will be able to see each other's real faces and real bodies all gathered together having fun shooting monsters, or holding hands in a park on a mountain top with a friend, girlfriend, new somebody you just met. It could be a dating gaming network in a paradise setting; that is exactly the direction it is going. But where there is good intention, there is also bad intention. And it definitely will get taken advantage of by evil people. And games will get caught in the crossfire when social media looks to blame or is blamed for some bad situation. So I say it is cool, but will get exploited, which will be uncool. But yeah, I'm just rambling about nonsense, until it makes sense. Did it make any sense? Or is it still nonsense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blackangel Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 One thing that no one has mentioned yet is the elderly. There are nursing homes around here that use video games to help those at risk to keep their reflexes and minds sharp, while giving them entertainment at the same time. They typically don't use anything fancy. SNES mostly as with it having fewer buttons it's less confusing. They give them simple games like Super Mario World and educational ones like Mario Is Missing. In reviews it was shown to be a boon to the health of their residents. And the employees will often talk about the games they played as kids, and if a resident shows interest, and the employee still has it, they often bring it in. Some of the less gory fighting games like Street Fighter II are offered in some places for residents when/if they need to blow off some steam. I bet you never pictured your 86 year old grandma beating the shit out of M. Bison or Bowser did you? I worked at a nursing home more than 20 years ago, and I remember seeing the residents playing video games together. It was extra special to me because I worked in the Alzheimer's unit. The only stipulation was that they didn't allow anything too realistic, or that used guns. There were patients in the unit that had EXTREME PTSD from war, and even a door closing semi-hard was enough to kick in their shell shock and make them dive for cover. If a car drove by with its bass turned up too loud, same thing. So they got the calmest more child friendly games that had no loud sounds or anything that could sound like gunfire or explosions. It was tricky to keep them calm due to the horrors they went through, but the nurses and doctors were good at their jobs and did their best and helped a lot of them. Â TL/DR - Video games can be beneficial to all ages from toddlers to the elderly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killamch89 Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 On 1/15/2021 at 5:58 AM, m76 said: I think games should be authentic period. If you aim to do a game set in a fictional future, don't drag commentary on current real world events into it. Sure games can be educational, and should be. They can build skills etc. But hiding propaganda in them is a disservice, and outright malicious. Especially in games aimed at children. The developers should always be very clear and transparent about their intentions. Never use games as a platform for piggybacking controversial messages. Fortnite is particularly guilty of the practice and recent Battlefield games.  On 1/14/2021 at 6:28 PM, Patrik said: It depends on how you see them, seeing them as an entertainement tool is just one of opinion out of lot of opinions, i personally play games for both, entertainment and curiosity, there are always newer things to know about I learned some life lessons from playing the Metal Gear Solid franchise as well. While games are mainly for entertainment, you can garner other things from gaming. For instance, gaming gives me a way to think about an issue (weird I know but it does and I usually find a solution to my issue while gaming). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
