Time spent gaming

[ubuysa]

I don't game, as most of the regulars here already know, I'm also past pensionable age, something else most regulars know too. That means that I have never been into the gaming culture, although I do understand the excitement and the attraction. What led me to post this was this comment in another thread on here...

Thought I would have a wee after dinner game at 6.30ish. Took the headset off, it was pitch black and after 11 o clock. I got completely lost. The only reason I took the headset off was because the controllers ran out of charge

Does this kind of thing happen a lot to gamers? Are games so immersive that you often lose all track of real time?

And if so, does it worry you at all?

When you get the wrong side of your pensionable age time becomes quite precious and whilst I understand the enjoyment in gameplay I can't help but wonder whether you're missing out on a big chunk of real life right at the ages when you can make the best use of that time?

I'm not knocking gaming at all, I'm trying to understand how serious gamers, who are clearly also very smart people (at least those I've met on here are), manage the time they spend gaming with the time they spend interacting with real people and real life. I suppose I could also say the same about social media, it seems that people spend much more time interacting on social media than they do interacting face to face in the real world.

Are we in danger of creating a world where people can only interact online or where their preferred version of reality is only in a game? If that's true does it worry any of you at all?

I well remember from my youth in the 60's that my parents were completely out of touch with the world in which we (the young) then lived. I now find that I'm completely out of touch with the online and gaming world in which today's young live (and by young I mean anyone under 40). I remember how my parent's generation fought against the 60's 'youth culture' and I certainly don't want to do that here, it's your world now and you make of it what you will, but I am interested to understand whether you think that more and more time spent online (in social media) and more and more time spent gaming is a good thing both for you as individuals and for society as a whole?

Discuss.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Lols, I guess it depends what you deem as important use of your time.

My father and I constantly argue about this topic, his life was all geared towards raising a family, going to social occasions for his kids and wife even though he hated it, all the money he ever earnt was all spent on the family as a unit rather than himself. When it comes to treating himself, he hasn't got a clue how to, he'll buy really cheap cars, awful clothes, he has no particular standards for himself.

I see that as a waste, although I'm sure his family have bought him a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction (as well as an awful lot of pain).

My interests are very very different. I work hard, I won't ever have a family, I don't believe in marriage based on religious differences in that I'm not religious in anyway. I spend most of my money on myself, I like cars, I collect expensive music equipment and records, I'm obsessed with technology in every way, I game, and I like to take a trip somewhere new every couple of months. My social life centers around going out to eat with friends.

My dad always tells me he thinks I waste my money on music, can never understand my addiction to tech, and thinks my car choices are pointless. But then he thinks a car is purely to get you from A to B, whereas I see it as a huge area of enjoyment in my daily life.

He thinks me sitting on forums a lot of hours per day is a waste of time, but it's all furthering my understanding of things I love or finding informed research to purchase something meaningful (to me).

Gaming is his biggest bug bear though, he just can't see what the point is of it. I got in to gaming quite late, about 14 years ago, but got heavily into it. Some games really do suck you in, personally my two biggest draws were Final Fantasy VII on the Playstation 1 which I'd play at work whilst I was doing night security and I sunk well over 100 hours into that game. Also F.E.A.R. was an amazing game, very in depth and immersive. Although quite a short game, it completely sucked me in for hours.

My gaming time has massively reduced in the last 5 years, although I still like to frequent it once in a while.

My personal feeling on this is that everyone's different. I'm quite an introvert, I appreciate my own company, and most of my hobbies are enjoyed at home alone. Very few of my friends enjoy PC gaming or music in the way I do, or they're into different genres of games they play with others. For me, gaming is an intensely personal pastime.

While my Father and I have very different lives, I feel most of his life was spent so out of a sense of duty, rather than fulfilling his own dreams (he's quite insular, doesn't really make friends), and that's certainly how I spent most of my younger years, feeling I had to achieve certain things and be a certain way. The benefit of hitting middle age is that those concerns have been replaced with a freedom from a care of what others think of me, and being able to fulfull my own needs without worry for what that means anymore.

It's bought me much more daily enjoyment, much more satisfaction of who I am, and gaming teaches me far more than just gaming, it teaches me about chat and voice connections, good WAN setups, routers, switches, the list goes on.

Basically I think it comes down to the persons attributes and values.

I completely agree that a person can be TOO into gaming, seeing it as a possibly addictive avenue, but I also think that's unavoidable as with any addiction, and those that are drawn to it in that way will face addictive traits with various other things as well. There's nothing that can be done to protect them from it, they have to learn their weaknesses and learn to live with it in a constructive manner.

Gaming has been a massive part of my adult life, and I've enjoyed every minute of it. Like anything in life, I do believe there needs to be a balance, but once in a while it's so worth pushing into the deep end and letting loose!

Furthermore, as what comes in the future, I think tech (thinking specifically virtual reality and VR) will become more the norm in everyday interactivity. I also believe humanity will face more of a crisis, possibly due to addictive traits taking over more lives, possibly centered around technology as a main form. The film 1984 is such an accurate perception of a possible future if that comes to pass where people plug in to gain credits for their real lives. There was another film "Until the End of the World" which was waaay ahead of it's time and relates to a future where people get addicted to watching each others dreams through VR (interestingly, John Hurt featured in both these movies). These relate to me in both technological aspects and addiction which I see as humanities next epidemic.

 

[polycrac]

I lose a lot of time to gaming, but that isn't always a negative. I quit smoking after 19 years, largely by gaming. I couldn't take a 30min bus ride without lighting up as soon as I got off but I could game for three or four hours without even thinking about it. The same is true of my current (slow) diet, sat in front of the TV I'll nibble, sat at the PC I don't.

I gamed a lot in my youth, then got more work focused. I came back to gaming when I realised I was wasting my life thinking about work when I could be killing orks!

I'm 42 so I still mostly socialise in person but a lot of my friends have families and don't get out so much, we use gaming as a chance to chat online and keep in touch. I'm quite proud to have a few friends I've known for years, talked drunken rubbish to and grieved with that I've never actually met in person.

 

[Tony1044]

I think when looked at by people who don't do it, any hobby appears to be a bit of a waste of time.

I watched a programme yesterday on TV (funnily enough I don't watch much at all these days - much prefer to read a book) with James May following Hornby as it tries to rebuild its brand and become profitable again.

I caught myself falling into the stereotypical view of the "grown men playing with trains..." but actually stopped myself, with a "shame on you" thought. The more I watched, the more I found it quite fascinating and no one can argue the patience and skill that goes into building a model of any kind. I can see why it would be cathartic to some.

For me, I SCUBA dive. Deep, wreck, cave and on a rebreather. To some, the idea of being underwater at all is anathema. Even to other divers, some of the diving we do would be considered too much. I've spent way too much money on it - I used to be something of a petrol head myself but grew out of that phase - but those moments underwater in near silence, with the freedom of feeling utterly weightless are amazingly cathartic to me. No emails, no phones, no meetings, just peace and quiet and my own thoughts.

I enjoy tech but since it's my job, I tend not to bother with it so much at home from a hobby perspective - it already eats into too much of my day.

I occasionally do a bit of light gaming (I love the relaxing playability of Portal 2 and the ingenuity of some of the fan made maps).

It's all horses for courses.

I don't think social media is particularly healthy and I don't really bother that much with it myself - it's more a necessity for a few things. It isn't even on the vast majority of my devices.

 

[ubuysa]

I think when looked at by people who don't do it, any hobby appears to be a bit of a waste of time.

<snip>

It's all horses for courses.

And I couldn't agree more. It was never my intention when I started this thread to be critical of how people choose to spend their time. Neither am I suggesting that time spent gaming is a waste of time. As Tony1044 says there are a whole host of things that I might consider to be a waste of time (stamp collecting and trainspotting for two) but which I appreciate others find very enjoyable and rewarding.

The point of my thread was to ask a question; is gaming entertainment or is it an alternative reality?

Gaming isn't the only way to enter an alternative reality of course; fiction books, TV shows and films also allow us to enter a virtual world, and though we might identify with the characters in this world we are mere observers, we're simply looking through a window onto the lives of others. This clear disconnect from these virtual worlds puts our enjoyment of them clearly in the scope of entertainment. We enter these world solely to be entertained, not as a substitute for real life.

Gaming is quite different. Most games (I believe) are point of view games, where we're not simply a disconnected observer, we're the protagonist and we really do experience, and to an extent control, what happens in this virtual world. What concerns me there is how easy (or hard) it is to tell where entertainment ends and alternative reality begins?

My question really comes down to this; do serious gamers see gaming as entertainment, a temporary escape into a virtual world that is no more real than a book or film? Or is the gaming virtual world so immersive that it becomes an alternative reality, preferable, because of the heightened excitement, to the real world?

Could gaming become the opiate of the future?

 

[Tony1044]

The point of my thread was to ask a question; is gaming entertainment or is it an alternative reality?

Oh that's a good question! I think, again, it depends on your frame of reference. For some people, I'd suggest it is definitely an alternative reality - an escape from their day-to-day life where they literally enter their gaming world. For others (me, for example), it's an occasional way to burn an hour or two.

Gaming isn't the only way to enter an alternative reality of course; fiction books, TV shows and films also allow us to enter a virtual world, and though we might identify with the characters in this world we are mere observers, we're simply looking through a window onto the lives of others. This clear disconnect from these virtual worlds puts our enjoyment of them clearly in the scope of entertainment. We enter these world solely to be entertained, not as a substitute for real life.

Gaming is quite different. Most games (I believe) are point of view games, where we're not simply a disconnected observer, we're the protagonist and we really do experience, and to an extent control, what happens in this virtual world. What concerns me there is how easy (or hard) it is to tell where entertainment ends and alternative reality begins?[/QUOTE}

That said, there are books where you are the protagonist - where you, as the reader are the main character and are asked to make choices that determine how the game develops. Of course, these are fairly niche, and you are right that by far and away the majority make you an observer. Interestingly, though, for myself I find it far easier to enter fully into the world of the narrative of a book than a game. I suspect this is a generational thing though - I'm from the 3 channels on TV era with one set in the home and not much to actually watch on it, so books were my escape from the mundane.

My question really comes down to this; do serious gamers see gaming as entertainment, a temporary escape into a virtual world that is no more real than a book or film? Or is the gaming virtual world so immersive that it becomes an alternative reality, preferable, because of the heightened excitement, to the real world?

Could gaming become the opiate of the future?

I can't answer the first part of that but as for the second - there are already cases of gaming addiction. As VR improves, I suspect this is likely to get worse.

 

[SpyderTracks]

And I couldn't agree more. It was never my intention when I started this thread to be critical of how people choose to spend their time. Neither am I suggesting that time spent gaming is a waste of time. As Tony1044 says there are a whole host of things that I might consider to be a waste of time (stamp collecting and trainspotting for two) but which I appreciate others find very enjoyable and rewarding.

The point of my thread was to ask a question; is gaming entertainment or is it an alternative reality?

Gaming isn't the only way to enter an alternative reality of course; fiction books, TV shows and films also allow us to enter a virtual world, and though we might identify with the characters in this world we are mere observers, we're simply looking through a window onto the lives of others. This clear disconnect from these virtual worlds puts our enjoyment of them clearly in the scope of entertainment. We enter these world solely to be entertained, not as a substitute for real life.

Gaming is quite different. Most games (I believe) are point of view games, where we're not simply a disconnected observer, we're the protagonist and we really do experience, and to an extent control, what happens in this virtual world. What concerns me there is how easy (or hard) it is to tell where entertainment ends and alternative reality begins?

My question really comes down to this; do serious gamers see gaming as entertainment, a temporary escape into a virtual world that is no more real than a book or film? Or is the gaming virtual world so immersive that it becomes an alternative reality, preferable, because of the heightened excitement, to the real world?

Could gaming become the opiate of the future?

BTW I fully appreciated you weren’t saying that gaming was a waste of time, my rant about my dad was just me venting. No correlation.

 

[Oussebon]

Exhibit A: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/foru...77-Euro-Truck-Simulator-2&p=433410#post433410

 

[SpyderTracks]

This is a very interesting topic, I find...

Another consideration is that certainly when I was growing up, there was a stigma to gaming, you were seen as a geek and anti social (this happens to be true for me, but certainly not the majority )

But nowadays, I think moreso since the Nintendo SNES and certainly Nintendo Wii, games, perhaps more aimed at consoles, are much more socially acceptable. PC gaming I think is still seen as niche and hardcore, but it does seem that more and more people are swaying towards the PC gaming market.

 

[synkrotron]

Hmmm... Time spent Gaming...

Well, that depends.

Sometimes I can go weeks or even months without playing any of my (small amount of) favourite games.

But if I get hooked into something then I definitely overdo things.

Always been the same, whether it be Space Invaders on the old 2600 or Gran Turismo 5 on the playstation, I can get lost for hours on end.


I guess I am the same with most of the things I do. I am always criticised for "kicking the a***" out of something.

 

[ubuysa]

I've added a poll to the thread to see how people view their gaming. Only gamers need respond of course, that why there's no 'I don't game' option.

 

[Scott]

There's a real irony here that, I believe, no one but myself will see.

I'm actually an incredibly light gamer. I've not gamed at all in the past week and prior to that I could count a handful of times that I have in the past month.

The draw for me is the, almost, alternate reality aspect of VR. It's so immersive. The only time in my life I've felt THAT immersed in gaming was with the original Tomb Raider back on the PS1. I got completely and totally obsessed with that game.

Few since then have actually got me properly invested. Abes Oddysee immediately springs to mind as one of the exceptions.

Other than that, driving experiences, 1v1 games and the odd Tomb-Raider esque game has piqued my interest.

Then..... VR came along and changed all of that. The immersive experience from even the simplest of games makes it a MUCH better venture for me. However, with the setup, cost and involvement required time really does fly in it. The time quoted was in the week that I first got the VR and the very first night I played Arizona Sunshine. It's a great game and really good fun. Next thing I knew.... it was night time. I was completely lost in that world with no concept of time.

In a GOOD gaming session for me I would normally be 2-3 hours in VR. An hour or so for non-VR experiences.

 

[Tony1044]

Genuine question, Scotster, cos I'm really not seeing it but what do you see about that, that's ironic?

If anything it just backs up my earlier comment aboit how VR is more likely to lead to addiction borne of escapism - I'm not saying you're in anyway addicted butby your own admission you find it easier to be lost in VR than non-VR games.

 

[Scott]

Genuine question, Scotster, cos I'm really not seeing it but what do you see about that, that's ironic?

If anything it just backs up my earlier comment aboit how VR is more likely to lead to addiction borne of escapism - I'm not saying you're in anyway addicted butby your own admission you find it easier to be lost in VR than non-VR games.

Just that from that snippet it would appear to come from someone who is a heavy gamer or spends a lot of time gaming. It couldn't be further from the truth.

However, even when I was a teenager, if I found something properly immersive (Like my experience with Tomb Raider etc), I will happily sit for multiple hours at a time playing a game. I rarely game, but when I do it tends to be for a couple of hours. That one experience was in relation to VR and how, uninitiated, I got completely and utterly lost in it thanks to how increasingly immersive it became.

The hilarious part of it, for me at least, was being in a bright sunlit world and taking off my headset to realise I had been walking around my living room... ducking, shooting, shuffling around, in complete darkness

 

[polycrac]

I've always found it easy to lose myself, whether in a book or a game. Its rare for me to play tabletop games these days, though I get the odd D&D session in. I'm not sure how that real-world, face to face game is different from a PC based online game with the same people.

 

[Tony1044]

I've always found it easy to lose myself, whether in a book or a game. Its rare for me to play tabletop games these days, though I get the odd D&D session in. I'm not sure how that real-world, face to face game is different from a PC based online game with the same people.

Oh I don't know - usually face to face gaming has far less questions about one's sexuality or the ease of one's mother....

 

[polycrac]

Oh I don't know - usually face to face gaming has far less questions about one's sexuality or the ease of one's mother....

Not at my table! [rollinglaugh] though I suppose at least Godwin's law doesn't apply face to face.