Barack Obama said something unflattering about video games.

[Dirty-Zombie]

The speech isn't necessarily about gaming, though he uses them as examples, its about media technologies as a whole. It about an over abundance of information which distracts from the important things. It argues that with some much information and ways of getting the information, we scan over it and don't look too deeply or critically at the material. It's kinda like now, how he talking about issues within the information age, yet a whole lot of readers are saying that its a hate speech against video games. It's a debate that been raging on in academia for a while now. I'm even looking at it now at University. I'm a Media and Sociology student.

It's not an argument I entirely agree with, but it isn't just a dig at video games. It can at times be a bit too nostalgic. This argument is one that formed out of the novel A Brave New Worls. It's an interesting debate at least. Gets people worked up, kind of like now.

 

[theSovietConnection]

We have no viable third party choice in America, and the two parties we do have are just as bad as the one-party states elsewhere in the world. They strangle out and choke off real change and improvement in the name of letting the people "choose" how they will be exploited and treated like lambs to the slaughter.

At least they pretend to care about the people. Here in Canada, our politicians have tossed out any semblance of pretending to care about anyone making less then 6 figures and keep trying to knock the other one out of power so they can gain power. And the sheer lack of funds prevents anyone who might be able to do any real good from gaining much, if any power. So we're stuck kind of like you guys, except it's 4 parties instead of 3.

And the only goal of one is to tear Canada apart.

Dictatorship by democracy.

 

[bloodychimp]

Really, people are mad he said video games are a distraction....

Aren't they? And isn't that part of why they're fun?

 

[Plazmatic]

I voted for him as lesser of two evils (contrast Sarah Palin being a heartbeat away from the Presidency).

Not gonna make that mistake again. I'll either vote Republican or stay home in 2012.

fail, he has taken no actions on what he said, and you are ignorant to say "vote republican or stay home", you should vote for the best candidate regardless. What he should be doing is get parents to make their kids study do their homework, etc, develop good habits, instead of being the lazy bastards they are. The reason Asians do so well in school is because of their culture, their parents enforcing study habits etc, but when it comes to other races that don't do well, the parents just let them do what ever they want.

Video games are not the problem, parents are.

 

[Jeronus]

He makes a good point. How often do we use sources like the internet for mostly entertainment purposes? The greatest source of information in the world is mostly used as a temporary distraction by our generation. He isn't saying throw away your electronic devices. He is just saying we should use our time and resources for more than just fun.

P.S. Are we going to viciously attack everyone who says something we don't like about video games with deciding if their statement has any merit or worth?

 

[Atmos Duality]

I Never understood why people thought he was some sort of messiah. He's a politician. I just hoped he'd win because frankly the other option was terrifying and would probably have us all dead or enslaved somehow.

Heh. I agree there. Though I would still rather had McCain than say, John Kerry.
The 2008 election's result didn't matter; either candidate would be inheriting a sinking ship.

Though I maintain that too many people blame the president. Politics is a petty child's game, no matter who plays it. Sadly, it's a profitable game too.

 

[Treefingers]

RAHHH HE OFFENDED TEH GAMEZ I R RAGE NAO!!!

Seriously everyone, let's NOT be a bunch of retards for once.

 

[Plurralbles]

unflattering, yes. Woudl I be a better person without video games? Perhaps. Did i still vote for him and would i still today? Given the options, still yes.

 

[Mr.Black]

Another reason why i'm glad I didn't vote for him.

*shrug*

Wait, really? Games are a distraction. If I have assignments that need doing, or exams that are coming up, you can bet I wont be buying any new game and only playing ones I currently have rather seldom.

All Obama is doing is making sense.

 

[Daipire]

Man, i want a time when insulting us video gamers was to be assassinated... We get so much shit, there's so many of us, and we're SO desensitized to violence...

Viva Le Nerd Revolution!

 

[Yureina]

Another reason why i'm glad I didn't vote for him.

*shrug*

Wait, really? Games are a distraction. If I have assignments that need doing, or exams that are coming up, you can bet I wont be buying any new game and only playing ones I currently have rather seldom.

All Obama is doing is making sense.

People who allow themselves to get lost in their own escapism and gaming rather than taking care of stuff that they actually need to do is not the fault of the gaming device. Obama seems to be, just like every other kooky anti-gamer politician, blaming the device itself rather than how it is used. As for not buying games when you have something major to do, i'd call that common sense.

Just my opinion.

 

[lacktheknack]

Well, it's certainly doubtful that he's going to do anything about it.

 

[Windowmaker4444]

As long as he doesn't use federal powers to restrict games I don't care what that man says. I liked though how he admitted the media isn't truthful. (Live birth sham)

 

[kidigus]

Well he's dissing the PS1 and the original XBox, but he didn't say anything about the PS3 or the 360 or the-

Aw, who am I kidding?

:,(

 

[Anticitizen_Two]

Eh, I really don't care. I supported Obama knowing he was against video games because I'm very progressive. That was one of many things that I thought Obama was too conservative about, but he was still much better than McCain. If you think McCain is pro-video game, keep dreaming.

 

[Booze Zombie]

The political always seem to talk out of their asses about anything that isn't in their little bubble filled with booze and yelling.

 

[Koeryn]

Obama is no better or worse than the politicians who ruled America before him, or those that will likely proceed him.

That said?

Nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

 

[TOGSolid]

"With iPods and iPads; Xboxes and PlayStations -- none of which I know how to work -- information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation," Obama said.

The man's got a point. Look at how inundated people are with all of this media that distracts people from the world around them. People are obsessed with their gadgets and games and it's honestly frightening just how badly informed most everyone is. The people that we rely on to vote for our presidents and senators and so on are the same sort of braindead twits that couldn't tell you why we have three distinct branches of government and what "checks and balances" are.

He urged the Hampton graduates to be role models and mentors to younger people to teach them the importance of education and personal responsibility.

DEAR GOD, This man is obviously trying to undermine our hobby, pollute our minds with his socialist ideals, and spread communism far and wide.

I don't like Obama, but fuck, I really wonder about you people sometimes and how you'll all jump on a few words without thinking about what's actually being said in the entirety.

 

[ultrachicken]

Another reason why i'm glad I didn't vote for him.

*shrug*

His opposition wouldn't have been any more video-game friendly.

OT: A lot of people would do better in school without video-games, true, but a threat to our democracy?

 

[FinalHeart95]

Wow. I'm starting to think no one read the article.

He is saying that video games, among other things are distractions. Which is entirely, 100% true. He is not saying to burn games in a fire. He is saying that we need to spend less time jerking around on games and more time becoming more intelligent people. With the way some are on Xbox, I can't entirely disagree. Don't get me wrong, some people are very intelligent and also play lots of games, but there are just as many people that are total dumbasses on Xbox Live.

I will restate what I said before though, in that the thing with him saying that he doesn't know how to work Xboxes, iPods, Playstations, etc, as if it's a good thing. Ignorance is not a good thing. Just because Fox News thinks you're elitist because you have actual knowledge doesn't mean you need to make yourself stupid to pander to them.