Simple Question: Why can't we all just have fun anymore?

[briankoontz]

People read books for fun - that doesn't mean it's ALL people want from books. So if this debate was about books you could say "Why can't we all just have fun anymore"?

None of the best games ever made have been *only* fun. Games are rich cultural experiences - they educate, enlighten, fascinate, intrigue, excite. Saying we ONLY want games to be fun is like saying we only want sugar in our diet. That's not healthy.

There's nothing wrong with having fun playing a game, or watching a TV show, or reading a book. But if that's all you ever get from the experience you're wasting your time. And if that's all you ever expect from the experience then you're not asking nearly enough from the artists producing the content, and not asking nearly enough from yourself.

 

[SweetShark]

I am already having fun my bro. But I am mostly away from the Forums because the games and real life keep me busy.
Now I am playing Betrayal, Scoredodge+ and Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe.
Feeling good man and then there is Persona AND Disgaea 5. And I even NOT played yet Disgaea 4!!!
Plus 600+ games I must played which of course I will die trying to play them all.
In other words Sadness Is Futile [did I said it right?]

 

[Padwolf]

I am having fun. I don't really pay much attention to the debates going around. I dip my head in every now and then and see what the fuss is. But I don't let it all stop me from enjoying whatever the hell I want to enjoy. Books, games, films, whatever. I will enjoy what I want and choose whether or not to engage in debates about them.

 

[Something Amyss]

don't talk to me...I'm enriching my mind with LITUREATURE

But that's not fun. Why aren't you having fun? Why can't we just have fun, Vault?

 

[Something Amyss]

You know, just as a followup, but this whole thing strikes me as an outcropping of that whole "fear of criticism" thing that's been talked about.

People read books for fun - that doesn't mean it's ALL people want from books. So if this debate was about books you could say "Why can't we all just have fun anymore"?

Isn't it weird that people want the medium to be taken as more than just children's toys, and yet whenever things get serious, it's all "guuuuuuys,why are you doing this?"

I am having fun. I don't really pay much attention to the debates going around. I dip my head in every now and then and see what the fuss is. But I don't let it all stop me from enjoying whatever the hell I want to enjoy. Books, games, films, whatever. I will enjoy what I want and choose whether or not to engage in debates about them.

Apparently, you can't do both. If you discuss [issue I don't want to talk about], it's because you can't have fun with the medium, and not because humans are nuanced creatures who can enjoy something and see its flaws, or want something but not find it to be an utter dealbreaker.

 

[newfoundsky]

In my view ( USA) I think its just a representation of the environment we currently live in. No one can really debate nor leave people alone anymore in every facet of life and if one tries to ignore or get a long, something, somewhere gets found that will drag you into an aggressive back and fourth.


With our nation's climate ,we'd start a full fledged war over a jelly sandwich.

ITS FUCKING PEANUT BUTTER.

on topic:

I think that everything should really be examined, and common sense should tell you that someone, somewhere, in all likelihood, does not like bouncy castles. You're allowed to dislike this person for that reason (and you should), but you shouldn't act like it's an insult to you.

 

[the_retro_gamer]

Why can't people have just fun? Because people like to argue and complain about things. I'm not saying all people are like this and there are people that just keep their hands clean and to them self's. However you are always going to have that one person that likes to instigate and get everyone riled up. Bottom line just do your own thing and don't give a shit what a nobody on the internet says about your way of having fun.

 

[Louzerman102]

This statement is tongue in cheek.

People just can't have fun with videogames because that is a waste of time. Games are about being narrative vehicles and advancing the media and proving that videogames are art and using videogames to make social and political statements and enact sweeping changes to culture and raising awareness of issues that you should really care about and photo-realistic graphics. What kind of moronic simpleton buys a videogame because its fun and has fun mechanics. If you want to have fun with videogames you are as bad as (insert group here).

edit:

Why can't people have just fun? Because people like to argue and complain about things. I'm not saying all people are like this and there are people that just keep their hands clean and to them self's. However you are always going to have that one person that likes to instigate and get everyone riled up. Bottom line just do your own thing and don't give a shit what a nobody on the internet says about your way of having fun.

There is a second layer to this as well. People like to argue and complain about things, but the internet is also the perfect place to encounter someone to argue with. I would never talk about the structure of the internet with my real life friends, however I have no problem talking about this topic with you who are a complete stranger to me. It's really easy to find someone with differing opinions and yell at them because I'm typing letters while looking at a glowing screen and not saying them to your face.

 

[WhiteNachos]

You know, just as a followup, but this whole thing strikes me as an outcropping of that whole "fear of criticism" thing that's been talked about.

People read books for fun - that doesn't mean it's ALL people want from books. So if this debate was about books you could say "Why can't we all just have fun anymore"?

Isn't it weird that people want the medium to be taken as more than just children's toys, and yet whenever things get serious, it's all "guuuuuuys,why are you doing this?"

Perhaps they think they're taking themselves too seriously or beating a topic to death.

 

[Padwolf]

I am having fun. I don't really pay much attention to the debates going around. I dip my head in every now and then and see what the fuss is. But I don't let it all stop me from enjoying whatever the hell I want to enjoy. Books, games, films, whatever. I will enjoy what I want and choose whether or not to engage in debates about them.

Apparently, you can't do both. If you discuss [issue I don't want to talk about], it's because you can't have fun with the medium, and not because humans are nuanced creatures who can enjoy something and see its flaws, or want something but not find it to be an utter dealbreaker.

But... what if I'm not human? Then what do I do? But seriously, yeah I get people wanting to take a medium further than being a toy or some such, and yeah I like to have great debates and something or rather about it all, but I'll still enjoy whatever it is that's being talked about!

 

[Random Gamer]

None of the best games ever made have been *only* fun.

It might be right some times, or even often, but that's not an absolute truth either.
I'm not sure Sid Meier's Pirates! is anything else but just fun. And it still is one of the best games ever.
Or Syndicate - it's difficult to argue it's more than mere fun.

Of course, you have other games who have other elements - though overall, the "more than just fun" bits are less developed than in movies or books.

 

[Something Amyss]

Perhaps they think they're taking themselves too seriously or beating a topic to death.

There's some irony in that notion.

But... what if I'm not human?

Well, if you're really Hades, you can do whatever the Hell you want. Otherwise, it depends on what you are.

Then what do I do? But seriously, yeah I get people wanting to take a medium further than being a toy or some such, and yeah I like to have great debates and something or rather about it all, but I'll still enjoy whatever it is that's being talked about!

Last night I was mocking GTA V online while playing it with friends. I mean, you can discuss, criticise, even rant and still have fun. My girlfriend and I bonded over taking the piss out of Doctor Who and Harry Potter, both properties we're quite fond of.

I think one of the other important things is that when we're on here, we're probably not gaming. Like, I played a bunch of Warriors Orochi 3 this morning (I'm trying to platinum before I transfer to Ultimate), more than an hour's worth. I was definitely having fun. I will continue to have fun with it. I'm not sure there's much discussion value there, though. But then, that's the difference between time playing and time discussing anyway. I could play more WO, or GTA, or Fez, or a couple of the more recent purchases I've made, but I'm kinda at my fill for the moment. I may play later if I have time, I may not. Also, I can post on here between jobs, which I can't do for most games.

Seems like we play games to play games and we discuss games to discuss em, you know?

 

[QuietlyListening]

If you just want to have fun, great. Go do that. I like to have fun with videogames too. But a discussion of whether a game is fun or not is not likely to be either very long or very enriching. And even if games are fun, they can still have things that irk us that we want to talk about it. If you don't want to participate in that discussion, that's cool too. We'll be over here talking about it. You can go back to having fun.

And lest there be any misunderstanding, I mean this with utter sincerity. I don't think anyone wants people to not have fun. It's just that some of us think that there are things either more important than simple fun or things that get in the way of fun that we'd like to see fixed. We're all on the same side.

 

[WhiteNachos]

Perhaps they think they're taking themselves too seriously or beating a topic to death.

There's some irony in that notion.

Eh the people who are asking everyone to stop might not be the same people who bring it up all the time in the name of attacking the idea (yes I know there's overlap but I doubt it's 1:1).

 

[Something Amyss]

Eh the people who are asking everyone to stop might not be the same people who bring it up all the time in the name of attacking the idea (yes I know there's overlap but I doubt it's 1:1).

No, the irony was you defending the notion of fun while getting angry and offended at people not having a serious discussion about their runs at windmills. And talking about being sick to death of serious discussion, because, well, obvious.

I mean, I had been speaking in a general sense before then, but the irony comes when you, of all people, white knight for them.

 

[WhiteNachos]

Eh the people who are asking everyone to stop might not be the same people who bring it up all the time in the name of attacking the idea (yes I know there's overlap but I doubt it's 1:1).

No, the irony was you defending the notion of fun while getting angry and offended at people not having a serious discussion about their runs at windmills.

Offended and angry? Don't flatter yourself. It was annoying the way that a 5 year old is annoying or someone who calls everyone libturds or rethuglicans or whatever. It really didn't take all the much effort to sarcastically mock you doing it.

And talking about being sick to death of serious discussion, because, well, obvious.

I never said I was sick of serious discussions. Go back and read it again.

I mean, I had been speaking in a general sense before then, but the irony comes when you, of all people, white knight for them.

You don't really know what white knighting is do you?

 

[Battenberg]

This isn't just in games either. If someone likes a particle movie and gets joy, fun and comfort from it, who's right is it to say that they are wrong to enjoy it or their kind of fun is the "wrong" kind of fun.

Jeez you don't even see the irony do you?

I find debates about games fun. I'll happily go back and forth with someone else who also enjoys these debates over what I love or hate about game x. Does that prevent you from having fun in your own way? Are you obliged to read whatever thread or comments section this debate appears in? Does this debate harm anyone in any way? No, no, and no. Yet you are, to paraphrase your post, saying that I am wrong to enjoy it and that I am having the wrong kind of fun.

 

[MrHide-Patten]

Fun is different depending on who you ask, some random fella covered in blood thinks hacking people into little giblets is fun, doesn't mean you think it's fun. Lets use the example Destiny; lots of people are cranking their shorts having lots of fun, I gave it a go and I wasn't having fun, I was very, very bored. So when the suits rock up and say; 'Yo dawg we need something to sell to earn us lots of dope cash hommies.' Suit B goes; 'shit homes, Destiny earned da mega bucks, lets just do what they're doin' mang'.

What we get is a cycle of bland repetitiveness where the majority is always catered to, and I'm left more and more jaded as I've realized my mother wasted $700 for a PS4. I want to play games, not FPS 5628 and WoW.

Probably won't even play Silent Hills all the way through, but fuck, it's different these days.