If for some reason you haven't figured it out yet, I love video games. I love what they do, and I love what they are doing for our generation and the future. I know that's a very vague statement, and I'll get to the details some other time, but right now, I want to talk about why some things surrounding gaming suck.
Now, I know in general the typical gamer is sometimes very defensive when it comes to their favorite hobby, and I can understand that. Sometimes we are even right to be defensive, because those who criticize us are sometimes just plain wrong. However, there are things we must realize that are the truth (or, at least I believe them to be true), and looking at both sides of controversy such as this can make us smarter overall, especially when it comes to that defensiveness that I mentioned earlier.
First of all, video games are still a new form of media. This sucks because we are typically the target of many common claims that still plague modern society today, like "video games cause violence" or "playing this game can make you a rapist" (yes, someone actually said that. Hilarious, right?) Similar movements and claims were made when movies and comic books were new too, and yet history keeps repeating itself. What's most funny about these claims that people make is that the evidence they cite is either vastly outdated or greatly exaggerated, so with a little digging, it's pretty easy to tell when somebody is targeting the obvious scapegoat of video gaming just to generate buzz-worthy news.
Whenever something like this happens, we gamers usually draw our swords and put up our shields at the supposed enemy. Sometimes we're in the right, like when we get wrongly called out for causing violence. However, when this happens, we become monsters ourselves by throwing our own insults and filth back at them. Doing so isn't really helping our cause, and the way we should be fighting is the intelligent way rather than the stupid way.
Another reason is that video games are significantly easier to spend time on than other hobbies. The new form of media that they embody is called "interactive storytelling", and because a player is essentially given control over how fast and sometimes what direction the story progresses, a person can get much more involved in comparison to, say, a simple novel. Yes, a person can get deeply involved in a novel too, but bookmarks are not the same as the pause button, and finishing a page in a book doesn't feel the same as finishing a portion of a video game.
Aside from the average amount of time that either takes, reading a book and playing a video game, while similar in some ways, are just not the same. The story and events in a book are already set in stone, and the only way that your feelings change depends on how fast you get through it. In a video game, you can essentially control the world around you (in most cases anyway), and though the story can be mostly linear (if there even is one!), your feelings can go in one or more of many directions solely based on the way the game is designed. For example, the choices you make in the game could affect the story, or if there is no story, you could make a gameplay decision that changes the possibilities of your next move.
Overall, a video game is like an open-ended world where a story is happening, and you just happen to be there in the shoes of the main protagonist or watching them experience it themselves. While books are great storytellers by themselves, it is much easier to be invested in a video game for the vast amount of possibilities, and they can be a bit more of a timesink as a result.
Lastly, if you're relatively new to video games in today's day and age, especially games with online features, prepare yourself for the worst. We can blame the anonymous nature of the internet, which is usually a necessity in my opinion to protect identities from antagonistic people, but it is an unfortunate reality that we have to put up with right now. If you were to play any game online, be it on a console or on your computer, you'll probably encounter some kind of flaming or racism or general unpleasantness if anything you say or do doesn't conform with the general societal norm of the community in question. Basically, if people think you're wrong, then you'll hear about it. Oh yes, you'll hear about it alright.
I think this is unacceptable. Now, I'm definitely being hypocritical by saying that, because I am just as guilty as any other pile of crap that thinks they can say whatever, but the difference between me and them is that I realize the possible long-term consequences and the immorality in doing so, and I usually shy away from being a jerk most of the time as a result. This goes along with not provoking someone enough to the point of conflict, and that differs among most people, but there you go.
Behavior like this online only promotes the negative stereotypes associated with us gamers as well as proves the general asocial nature of a gamer. Simply hearing someone's voice or reading the text they type is not the same as communicating with them live and in person. The hand and facial gestures along with bodily movement can tell somebody a lot when combined with a person's voice and spoken words, and it still is today the easiest way to understand someone completely. Those who spend their time online don't take others as actual people for some strange reason, and as a result they feel entitled to do whatever the hell they like with no consequences in mind.
Video games should be something that entertains and makes a person enjoy themselves. They can also bring people together towards a common interest and cause even more fun. It's just unfortunate that many assume and act in such a way that makes it horrible for the rest of us, and while there are those of us that contribute, there are also those that realize our mistakes and try to put our best foot forward.
Also, games are expensive. Most of the time. That sucks.
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