This MAY belong in Computers & Gaming. If it does, then feel free to move it there. :) I put it here, though, because it's more of a debate question than anything else.

So. With video gaming becoming a more mainstream and widely accepted form of entertainment, I was wondering what your opinions were on the merit of video games, as far as entertainment value, as well as brain stimulation.

Some people frown upon video games. I have heard dozens of different arguments against them. Some of the more common, from what I have heard as a gamer, are:

1: Video games have too high a risk of addiction.
2: Video games have no educational merit.
3: Video games influence players to become violent.
4: Video games keep kids from being social or forming social lives.

There are also numerous arguments FOR the value of video games as a media outlet:

1: Because they are interactive, they stimulate brain capacity much more than television or film, or even possibly reading, because the player, depending on the game, must think on his/her feet, strategize, and react an often dynamically changing situations.
2: Video game stories are able to be much longer and more detailed than film or sometimes even television stories, allowing for more complex entertainment.
3: Video games, due to their interactivity, are therapeutic.
4: Video games do not restrict social skills upon avid players any more than books restrict the social skills of avid readers.

Where do you stand on this debate? Do video games have merit as a media source, in terms of both intellectual stimulation and entertainment value? Do you have any other arguments for or against them?

Originally Posted by HeartMoogle

2: Video games have no educational merit.

For now I'm just going to cherry-pick at this particular point, with:


Etc. etc.

I know a few parents who still think that video games give you brain damage. oO

Ultimately it depends on personality with regards to their social interaction, addiction, personality and so on rather than games being a cause in itself.

They can be very stimulating. In some games, like Pokemon, there are a ton of mathematical algorithms people use to gain an advantage. I know a lot of business people who love war and strategy games like Age of Empires and Command & Conquer. It keeps their brain stimulated in their field while giving them a break.

And it's an interest that can be used to socialise topic wise.

Also, the last negative argument I really dislike when people make it. It assumes that not being social is a bad thing. People forget half the world is made of introverts and the cult of personality is way too overplayed. It's kind of sad that being not being social is viewed very negatively.

I'd like to point out that the Wii was designed as a "family" console; essentially, to bring families together and get them to be social with each other. How many Wii commercials have you seen where one person is playing alone?

Also see: XBox Live and PSN and Steam.

Minecraft is one of my few social outlets these days. I moved about 2,000 miles away from all of my friends, and Minecraft lets me spend time with them. We get on skype and mine and craft and kill creepers and build palaces. I love Minecraft Mondays. It's a server tradition, and a great time to catch up with people I don't get to see anymore.

Pa-chinko: I agree with pretty much every point you make. Even in First Person Shooters, your brain is constantly being stimulated. It's much like playing an active sport such as basketball. You have to think, act, and react to the ever-changing situations. I also agree with you when you say that not being social isn't a bad thing by any means. I'm not a social person. I never have been. I feel like this is nothing but a good thing. My high school was WROUGHT with drama, and by flying under the radar, I managed to avoid a great deal of it. I still prefer to be in private, intimate social situations with friends over being at a party or around a large group of people.

Keyori: Both of your responses were not only logical, but downright hilarious. You're always a pleasure to see around Mene. Haha. And yeah. The Wii (and subsequently, the Kinect and PS Move) were developed to promote activity, as well as social interaction. And there are a myriad of "educational"video games, if the constant brain stimulation that video games inherently provide isn't satisfactory.

I played Math Blaster at school. In grade school, when we had computer lab time that we could use for a number of things, like Math Blaster, Oregon Trail, Kid Pix, and this reading test program (we got to choose from a list of books to read, and the software tested us on the books we said we read, in order to get reading credits for grades--better and easier than having all students read the same books and giving them all the same test at the same time, it better accommodates for different reading levels, speeds, and interests--but I digress).

And I sure as heck had no idea what dysentery was until Oregon Trail. Just sayin' :roll:

As a kid, the "Let's Explore (location)" was probably my favorite type of game. We had the airport and the farm, and a demo of the jungle. It's way more interactive than just watching kid's shows about the same thing; much more brain activity than sitting and absorbing what's fed. I'm definitely going to get educational games for my children, to help not only with their learning, but to teach them how to use a computer (because honestly, it's a necessary skill these days anyway). And, like a good parent, I'm not just going to buy them GTA and let them have at it (though that wouldn't necessarily be bad either), but rather I'd like to play with them when I can. A game only has so much programming, and as a parent I can expand and facilitate what a game teaches. Parents should be expected to do that.

Age of Empires saved me in history class. xD
They often have wall texts of historical info that I love to stop and read. X_X The Teutons actually had their own version of European ninjas which is awesome.


LOL Dysentery... I found out what it was the hard way. >.<

*ahem*

Videogames Politely Invade Smithsonian Art Museum | Game|Life | Wired.com

That's absolutely wonderful, Keyori. XD It makes me happy on so many levels. :D

Now if only Roger Ebert would come around...

As an animation major, who plans on working in both the media and gaming industries, this has a very special place in my heart.

Video games are interactive and bring people together:
-People tend to forget that their beloved apps such as Drawing Together, Scrabble, Words with friends, etc, are all video games. You think and interact with your friends and family. They are stimulating and fun for everyone.

-Most games made for more "serious" or even "casual" gamers tend to have multiplayer modes. Many of these can also be done through the internet. People use them to play with their friends and family, as well as make new relationships with people they otherwise would have never met if it weren't for the game themselves. They also use headsets and video to interact with each other while playing, so it isn't just mindless faceless time.

-A lot of introverts find it much easier to interact while in the gaming community. They are given an avatar that represents who they truly want to be and they feel more willing to put themselves out there and work together with people. Now adays, they actually have friends due to interactive and multiplayer games and their communities, unlike before when it was much harder to communicate with others with similar interests and they were called the "Friendless basement dwellers".

-Games are evolving to be more family friendly. Meaning, someone's parents could easily figure out how to play mario cart with their children, so they can do something together that interests everyone and that everyone can understand.

Video games make you think:
-There are many classrooms that are involving computers and gaming more and more. There is, in fact, one class that is 100% taught via MINECRAFT. The kids love it and their test scores have risen because of it.

-They also help with abstract and critical thinking skills, particularly at a much younger level than is currently being taught in some educational facilities.

-They help with hand eye coordination.

-Surprisingly, they can also teach patience.

MMOs help with social skills, such as group work. It's hard to see sometimes with all the "GTFO NEWB" comments floating around, but essentially, it takes a lot of hard work and thinking skills to do some of these games. I used to coordinate 40 people at the same time, in a raid on WoW. That is a lot of work and it takes everyone's equal effort and patience to get the job done without everyone dying and becoming frustrated.

But you know what, even when we DID die several times, you'd be surprised how many times we didn't give up and kept plugging away until we finally did. It was always a sense of accomplishment and everyone patted each other on the back afterward. We also helped each other out to improve, which is something you do not see very much of in 100% competitive, solo gaming.

IN CONCLUSION:
Video games have come a very long way since their beginnings. They have evolved into something much more.

And if anyone says video games make children violent, they aren't thinking about it right. As a parent, you are the one who should be monitoring the games your child is playing and explaining to them the difference between real life and virtual reality. If you find a game to be too violent for your child, then don't let them play it. They have rating systems for a REASON and most people at video game shops know enough about the games to tell you what you might consider inappropriate in them. If you can't take the time and effort to research, even a tiny bit, into what you're letting your child get into, then I'm sorry, it isn't the game's fault.

You know what can also make kids violent without proper parental supervision? SPORTS.

Actually in recent history Video games have been proven to be wonderful theraputic tools, as well as training devices for many physical tasks.

I think with the future of 3D and devices like the Knect, we may soon be able to train people in the medical field, and for things like massage, or martial arts, or even use them to develop social skills.

In short we are on our way to a holodeck, and I'm looking forward to it. :)

I'm also looking forward to a holodeck. We already have cellphones, Star Trek. We want a holodeck now.

-There are many classrooms that are involving computers and gaming more and more. There is, in fact, one class that is 100% taught via MINECRAFT. The kids love it and their test scores have risen because of it.

WAT. LINK PLZ.

I want to be in that class! Heck, I want to TEACH that class! OR BOTH!

Yaks: Aye, and with recent medical technology we are close to tricorters too. XD Soon we'll be living star trek, and won;t that be amazing?

@Keyori - Here is the guy who started it: The Minecraft Teacher
And here is Minecraft specifically made for teachers: MinecraftEdu

@Glass - I just hope it happens before I'm too old to know what's going on and enjoy it. :\

Yaks, I love the arguments you made. They are logical and reasonable, and I would have to agree with just about every point you made. Particularly where you said that video games actually give introverts a safe way to interact with others at their leisure. This, I think is absolutely true. People who try to force introverts like myself into the real world and to parties and social gatherings only damage the psyche of said introvert by placing them in situations they simply do not want to be in or, more to the point, can't handle being in. I get social anxiety when forced to interact with a group of strangers that I don't know, and this has sort of intensified with age. If I meet them all one at a time, then I can handle it well, but most of the time this isn't the case. I don't deal especially well with meeting new people.

My roommate, who is extremely extroverted, gets frustrated with me I think because I never want to go to the parties or social gatherings he regularly attends. It's difficult to make him understand that it's not just outside of my comfort zone, but it legitimately makes me upset to be around that many strangers. Not that I hate people, I just need to take meeting people slowly. As I said, I prefer one-on-ones. But video game communities like the one on Fiesta, the MMO I play on, or other communities such as Menewsha that I am not forced to interact with any one person suit me just fine. I can meet people and be social, and retreat and hide whenever I feel like it. It helps that everyone here on Menewsha is exceedingly friendly, as kindness is one of my core values anyway.