I'm tired of the "it's just a game" line

[Brawndo]

People use this all the time to defend or justify titles, storylines, or gameplay mechanics from criticism and commentary. So what if it is "just" a game? Does this make it magically exempt from criticism or in-depth analysis? Do people say, "it's just a movie" or "it's just a book"? Sometimes sure, but not nearly as much as with video games. Analysis and commentary on books and movies have turned into essays, editorials, and sometimes even complete university courses.

So frankly, if we want video games to ever be accepted as a serious medium IN ADDITION to their inherent entertainment value, we have to stop saying this.

 

[Urgh76]

I lost the game

I dont think people are ever going to (mainly parents) stop using that line, although I agree entirely

 

[Talal Provides]

Saying "it's just a game" is perfectly acceptable, though, when someone is raging out about losing or in other similar situations where someone is taking what should be something done for the sake of fun way too seriously.

 

[Hader]

Context is key. Games are just that: games. But games are also more than just games.

Not something we can generalize here.

I lost the game

Damnit...

 

[Valate_v1legacy]

What do you mean? I have never heard that line used except by D&D and Yu-G-Oh! players. Honestly, I think it's a moot point by now since it has delved itself into public consciousness long enough to not be used by people in relation to video games.

 

[BreakfastMan]

I totally agree. Using the "It's just a game" line really undermines what games are perceived as by both the greater public, and gamers themselves. We need to stand up for our medium, not hide behind self-deprecating arguments.

 

[Kae]

Well I do agree with it being misused when using it as an excuse for the lack of quality of one of the elements of the game, with that said it is a perfectly used line when used with a person who is pissed off because he lost in a game.

 

[Blank Kold]

I lost the game

fffffffffff

[OT] the phrase itself makes sense; it's a truism. if there's a message that's supposed to be conveyed it ought to be taken seriously, but the fact that a game is just a game remains.

there's an umlaut in my captcha.

 

[Trolldor]

Actually, I use 'it's just a game' along the same lines I use 'it's just a movie'.

Shit be fake, don't expect realism.
But don't tout realism when you can't deliver.

I'm looking at you Devs. And the wankers who made Troy.

 

[Extragorey]

It may be "just a game" but usually it's a game that you've put a lot of time into. And if the game itself doesn't mean much, your invested time certainly does.

 

[mshcherbatskaya]

The "it's just a game" thing can be reversed too. Since games aren't bound to the drudgery and failings of real life, I think it's reasonable to hold them to a *higher* standard rather than the reverse. They should be more diverse, more broadminded, more inclusive, more just than real life *because they can.* Games that merely repeat and reinforce old stereotypes and tropes reflect nothing less than a failure of imagination.

 

[RatRace123]

I lost the game

YOU BASTARD!

OT: I agree, in some circumstances.
It depends, really.

 

[Brawndo]

Well I do agree with it being misused when using it as an excuse for the lack of quality of one of the elements of the game, with that said it is a perfectly used line when used with a person who is pissed off because he lost in a game.

I agree with this... when I wrote the OP I didn't really think about the second situation, because I've used that line in that context as well

 

[Espsychologist]

I lost the game

fffffffffff

[OT] the phrase itself makes sense; it's a truism. if there's a message that's supposed to be conveyed it ought to be taken seriously, but the fact that a game is just a game remains.

there's an umlaut in my captcha.

While a game may, in fact, be 'a game', it is never, nor should it ever be considered 'JUST' a game. The phrase itself conveys the message: "the game doesn't matter and is, therefore, meaningless, which, in turn, makes the game a waste of time, effort and energy." I don't have time to get into specifics, but saying a game is 'just a game' as a cop-out when someone is upset over losing or some other such issue is utter rubbish. Being a poor sport is immature, but devaluing a game (of any kind) to placate some whiner is (or should be) inexcusable. Case in point: I enjoy D&D (a little too much, maybe ). When I play D&D, there are occasions during which whining, complaining and/or even outright verbal sparring will take place. I have NEVER uttered the phrase "it's just a game" to deescalate a conflict because such words not only devalue the game, but disrespect the players who have put time, effort and energy into their characters, decisions and the building of the story and the world in which it takes place.
As to how one may deal with the whiners mentioned above: take a class on conflict resolution, especially if you plan on DM'ing.

 

[Wondermint13]

I thought the line "it's just a game" was better used to stop somebody throwing a hand controller out of the window?

Very fair point though mate. Games wouldn't mean half as much if they weren't allowed to be critisized.

 

[Phlakes]

Well, when characters survive within two feet of a large explosion, do you never say "it's just a movie"?

 

[Blank Kold]

While a game may, in fact, be 'a game', it is never, nor should it ever be considered 'JUST' a game. The phrase itself conveys the message: "the game doesn't matter and is, therefore, meaningless, which, in turn, makes the game a waste of time, effort and energy." I don't have time to get into specifics, but saying a game is 'just a game' as a cop-out when someone is upset over losing or some other such issue is utter rubbish. Being a poor sport is immature, but devaluing a game (of any kind) to placate some whiner is (or should be) inexcusable. Case in point: I enjoy D&D (a little too much, maybe ). When I play D&D, there are occasions during which whining, complaining and/or even outright verbal sparring will take place. I have NEVER uttered the phrase "it's just a game" to deescalate a conflict because such words not only devalue the game, but disrespect the players who have put time, effort and energy into their characters, decisions and the building of the story and the world in which it takes place.

To each his own.

I'm not sure why a negative connotation is being put onto phrase. A game is just a game. A game will rarely affect someone to a degree that causes a significant shift in their life. Past that, a life is just a life. And the effect of any one life will fade after an amount of time.

That aside, you're reading too much into what I say. The term is not an excuse for a lack of quality or anything of that sort.

 

[bak00777]

i rly hate when people say "its just a game" but they get too into sports. Like last year i was playing some CoD(back when i liked the game) and i was in an xbox party with my friends. I was getting my ass handed to me by some sniper, so i was like "WTF! fucking campers!" My friend replied "Dude calm down its just a game" then he kind of mocked me about getting upset. Two days later he came to school in a bad mood, because his favorite football team lost. He claimed the refs were making bad calls on purpose to make them lose. I of course responded with "Dude its just a game" He got very upset...hypocrite.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Universities do cover games now. They are producing papers and shit or whatever.

I'm sick of some of these exchanges though. Someone says that it's just a game. Someone else says, it's not merely a game, it's an interactive narrative experience that contextualises the nascent possibilities of the emerging zeitgeist of the coming century within the concept of the fourth meta space of the magic circle. And them I'm all like, whaaat, I thought they were games where you play with rules and things like that.