Poll: The Greatest Threat to Gaming

[mr mcshiznit]

Honestly though people need to calm down with the xboxlive 50 doller fee - once a year people. You want to save 50 bucks that bad? cut out junk food, smokes, Cable, ect. Its really not that much money calm the f down with that junk all the time.

 

[santaandy]

I didn't read through the whole thread but I bet no one said this:

Girlfriends/Boyfriends.

Because with the state of the industry right now, I know if I had a good g/f who wanted me to give up games to spend time with her, I'd certainly give up new games, if not gaming altogether.

I think this is true for most hobbies. A comic book shop owner friend of mine once said that girlfriends are the biggest threat to his store.

 

[Graustein]

I didn't read through the whole thread but I bet no one said this:

Girlfriends/Boyfriends.

Because with the state of the industry right now, I know if I had a good g/f who wanted me to give up games to spend time with her, I'd certainly give up new games, if not gaming altogether.

I think this is true for most hobbies. A comic book shop owner friend of mine once said that girlfriends are the biggest threat to his store.

I wouldn't. If she can't live with my hobby, she can't live with me

 

[Graustein]

Same here. I'd drop any girl for video games and friends.
You can reaplce a girlfriend easy, not videogame time.

That isn't quite what I meant. It's not because I wouldn't value a girlfriend, it's because I refuse to give up something I've always loved just because she doesn't like it. I'd be happy to cut back on gaming if it meant spending more time with her, but I wouldn't forgo it altogether unless she makes a similar sacrifice for me.

Ideally though, my girlfriend would be a gamer, so it's not much of an issue. Most of the girls I've been attracted to play video games.

 

[vxicepickxv]

You want to know the group most likely to ruin gaming. This may sound as a bit of a shock, but the answer is gamers.

Yes, it is our fault that the gaming industry is the way it is.

Companies would rather make piles of money being able to produce squeals of something that worked the first time than to try to be original, because if it did poorly, then they would lose a huge pile of money.

Why do we demand everything from a game? We're killing the industry, like a cancer.

Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go play audiosurf.

 

[Crunchy English]

Why do we demand everything from a game? We're killing the industry, like a cancer.

I know what you mean, and in someways I agree. It seems counter-intuitive though, doesn't it? The idea that high standards from the consuming public could actually hurt the industry?

But I guess we gamers are a spoiled lot, we really do tear into people who dare to release a mediocre game, as has already been stated by IronMal (sp?) and a few others.

 

[vxicepickxv]

Well, I play games because they're fun. I find it a bit odd that my most frequently played games are as follows...

Audiosurf
Castle Crashers
Neverwinter Nights
Rock Band

Yes, that's about the order too. They're not the prettiest games in the world, but wow are they fun.

Audiosurf uses my large collection of pirated MP3 files for an entertaining if odd game theme.

Castle crashers just reminds me a lot of the side scrolling games of the Genesis era, like Golden Axe and the Streets of Rage series, built on gameplay more than story.

Neverwinter Nights is pretty much the opposite, but because of the availability of game worlds from groups that are so varied, it's great for RPG players of all different seeds.

Rock Band is just rock band. I can't really say more, other than I've spent more on DLC than I did on the game.

Oddly enough, I don't really play a lot of new games, because most of them are either hyped up a lot, or I don't hear about them until after they disappear from shelves forever.

 

[asamoah19]

I've gotta go for two, I think EA's business model is terrible, Command and Conquer perfect example, since they've taken over full control of westwood (so RA2 not included) C and C games have been terrible.

but alos and more importantly Government and ruling body censorship. Take Manhunt 2. It has just been given a release date here in britain. 31st October, over a year after the American release date. It has had whole sections taken out and this will surely impact its playability and attraction to fans, taking away possible customers from those platform, or of games by that developer.

Now I've written that. It seems I wanna say people like Jack Rtard. If it hadn't been for a few narrow minded though high profile pblic figures, such as politicians and chruch folk who came out against the game there would never have been a ban!

rant rant rant

 

[Crunchy English]

You're not missing anything, I've played Manhunt 2. Obviously someone out there will disagree with me, but I can honestly say I've never been more disappointed with a game. To play either of the Condemned games and then play Manhunt, it feels losing a limb or something. Condemned doesn't just do the atmosphere and the violence better and more creatively, it looks about a 1000 times better too.

Still, specific game aside, sucks about the censorship, I hadn't realized other countries were suffering too. Australia is the only one getting a lot of press about it.

EDIT- At least, over here they are. I imagine European censorship is a hot topic in, oh, say... Europe.

 

[Axolotl]

None of the listed options seem like a threat to gaming at all IMHO.
Personally I feel that the rising development costs for games is what hurts the industry most.

 

[Xazetuf]

I think it's other gadgets like the iPods as in the very one I am using to post this muhaha!

 

[Alotak]

Censorship isn't really an issue in Europe, the UK pretty much gets everything. They had trouble with Manhunt 2 but i don't think anyone is really missing out with that game.

I feel sorry for the guys in Germany tho, the censorship is very strong. But from most German guys i know they just get a copy from nearby country or the UK version.

Does anyone remmeber Frontlines: Fuels of war?
That has been prohibited for sale in the UK due to the fact its backstory says.

In 2008 the worlds oil prices began to rise at an astounding rate, the economys around the world began to fail, Aliances were made and countries began to stockpile arms. War then began...

Is not this rather scary as you might think that it would only cause offence when the government thought it a possibilty!
Oh dear...

 

[Crunchy English]

Are we sure the UK isn't banning games just because they suck? Is it possible someone over there is that on the ball? Manhunt 2 was awful, and Frontlines was... well it wasn't Manhunt bad, but there wasn't anything about it I would describe as "good".

 

[Crunchy English]

That sounds pretty ridiculous ur

probablyright. I especially dislike the idea of games as a distraction from harsh reality. My reality is pretty awesome. The fact is I'm a privileged young man. I'm usually broke, but that's because I pay university tuition. The opportunity to even pay for that level of education makes my life pretty awesome compared to other parts of the world. I have a girl I'm crazy about, supportive parents who care about me, a close knit group of friends. I even can manage to get along with strangers from time to time. Grades don't present much of any issue and I sell video games for a living.

Hot damn, my life is awesome. I'm also an incredibly dedicated gamer. Not a day goes by I don't punch a few hours in my 360 or my DS or my Mac. Does that mean I'm addicted? No, it's what I do in my down time. Either gaming is a hobby, or coin collecting is an addiction. It's just something pleasant to do with my free time. It never, ever affects the important things in my life.

 

[Raven28256]

Gaming is a hobby that seems to constantly be under attack, no matter how mainstream is becomes.

Gaming is not a hobby, it's an addiction. That's why it's under attack, because people who are addicted to something make very biased life choices. People call it a hobby so they can convince themselves that they are not using a manufactured reality to distract them from the true realities of life.

I'm a game-abuser, and i feel safe in assuming that many other people on this website are too. Complaining about games being censored etc is like whining when someone takes away your heroin. I personally am going to accept the fact that games are censored and try to have fun anyway. Ways in which I can have fun: Play older games, which are invariably better than new games, (with a few exceptions like world in conflict) get games from ebay or something.

I'd rather stop playing games. Good news is I pretty much have now: I don't count this forum as a game, though i guess i should.

Yes, clearly everyone who plays games are addicted to them.

In case you haven't heard, the number of people truly addicted to gaming is a small minority. Of the millions of people who play games, a relatively few number are what would be classified as "addicts." What you are saying is the same as me saying "Everyone who watches TV is addicted to it" or "Everyone who reads in their free time are addicted to books."

The fact is that, for the majority of gamers (Even the hardcore), game addiction isn't a problem. For me, gaming is a hobby and nothing more. I buy games regularly, and I usually put a few hours into them every day. Hell, there have been times where I kept playing into the early hours of the morning because I just wanted to do one more quest in an RPG or one more match in an online shooter. I'll even admit that I've done a bit of speeding to get home from school/work so I can play a game I recently bought. Does that mean I'm addicted? No. When I need to, I can put the controller down. If I have to, I can go without gaming for a while.

For the overwhelmingly vast majority of gamers, gaming is just a hobby. Some like it more than others, and yes, some ARE addicted, but that doesn't mean that ALL gamers are addicted to gaming.

 

[santaandy]

That isn't quite what I meant. It's not because I wouldn't value a girlfriend, it's because I refuse to give up something I've always loved just because she doesn't like it. I'd be happy to cut back on gaming if it meant spending more time with her, but I wouldn't forgo it altogether unless she makes a similar sacrifice for me.

Ideally though, my girlfriend would be a gamer, so it's not much of an issue. Most of the girls I've been attracted to play video games.

To paraphrase, that isn't quite what *I* meant. I was simply commenting that the industry is in such bad shape and most current games are so unsatisfying now that some days I find I'm almost wanting an excuse to quit playing. I would never let someone else, girlfriend or otherwise, dictate how I live my life, for any reason, and I don't think anyone should. I agree with those who feel the same. Like Graustein said, cutting back or making similar sacrifices in both people's lives is a much better choice. It's quite a shame that games take enough of people's time that, for some, such a choice would have to be made at all.

But this wasn't an attempt to discuss significanto others in depth - just to see who felt significant others had an impact on this industry. For example: I have noticed quite a few times on eBay and other sites before some poor newlywed fella having a "fire sale" of his hobby collection (video games and more). Most of the time the cause listed was that he and his girlfriend/wife were moving in together or to a new place, had to consolidate on space or raise money for something important, and the big collection was the first thing to go either because of its size or value. Many times the guy did not give up part of his collection but all of it.

I guess my question(s) now is(are): How big of a threat are significant others? Is this as much of a problem for female video gamers as for men? What about same-sex couples? What kind of effect does how much the significant other likes/plays games have (barring the obvious total dislike)?

Also, What are the reasons significant others have for asking such things? What reasons would be acceptable, or should any reason be? Do those who ask their significant other to cut back on/give up gaming only do so temporarily because of a situation or ask permanently? Let's avoid the obvious discussion on serious, damaging addiction, because we should all know that kind of addiction is bad all around and because it has been discussed to death elsewhere. What other life occurrences bring this up?

Sorry for the long post, but I am curious as to mow much of a threat relationships are and more importantly *why*. Answering that may help at least some of us be better off in the future.