Would we all be better people without gaming?

[Rawne1980]

Nope, we'd have watched a lot more television, a hell of a lot more movies or listened to more music.

Take away one form of entertainment and people will go on to others. Removing gaming will not bring about the cure for cancer any faster.

You never know. Probably not cancer, but with 210 million collective participation hours spent weekly on World of Warcraft alone, you just never know what we could be doing. That's an incredible amount of collective engagement on just a single world.

That is a long time in one game world....

However....

Pop on over to the WoW forums and have a browse. Even if some of those people managed to live 3 lifetimes they would barely have mustered up the combined IQ to toast bread safely.

You seem to overlook the fact that a percentage of gamers would not contribute anything to solving any of the worlds problems.

Gaming is a focus for them and it keeps them out of harms way and away from sharp or hot things they could potentially harm themselves with.

It's an interesting concept but not every gamer has the knowledge or will to do bigger and better things to benefit the world as a whole so I still stand by my statement that nothing would change. People would just find something else to do much like we did before gaming became big.

We read, we watched TV (or not for those of us that didn't have a TV in our youth), we listened to the radio or we went and hung around on parks kicking footballs around.

 

[aescuder]

Nah.

It's a nice thought, but you know in you're heart of hearts that you'd just be burning time some other way, as would I.

You're probably right. I like sports though and not enough of my friends play, so does that mean that if we all didn't have videogames we would all be playing sports together? Maybe I'd get into cocaine instead.lol you just never know.

 

[rohansoldier]

I think if I didn't have videogames I would have the same amount of friends but we would have less fun together (we played 4 player gears of war 3 horde last night and it was epic) and I would also probably have a lot more stress in my life as I see gaming as a source of stress relief and escapism.

 

[aescuder]

Nope, we'd have watched a lot more television, a hell of a lot more movies or listened to more music.

Take away one form of entertainment and people will go on to others. Removing gaming will not bring about the cure for cancer any faster.

You never know. Probably not cancer, but with 210 million collective participation hours spent weekly on World of Warcraft alone, you just never know what we could be doing. That's an incredible amount of collective engagement on just a single world.

That is a long time in one game world....

However....

Pop on over to the WoW forums and have a browse. Even if some of those people managed to live 3 lifetimes they would barely have mustered up the combined IQ to toast bread safely.

You seem to overlook the fact that a percentage of gamers would not contribute anything to solving any of the worlds problems.

Gaming is a focus for them and it keeps them out of harms way and away from sharp or hot things they could potentially harm themselves with.

It's an interesting concept but not every gamer has the knowledge or will to do bigger and better things to benefit the world as a whole so I still stand by my statement that nothing would change. People would just find something else to do much like we did before gaming became big.

We read, we watched TV (or not for those of us that didn't have a TV in our youth), we listened to the radio or we went and hung around on parks kicking footballs around.

LOL. Good point, even if it was at the expense of gamers' mass intelligence.

Your alternative world sounds a bit more productive, if not a bit healthier (except for TV). Although I can't imagine what the sports, book, and media industry would look like without videogames to compete with.

 

[Thaius]

Nope, that's not how it goes. I've seen that assumption a lot, and frankly it really annoys me. Cancer will be cured by a scientist, someone naturally interested and skilled in that area, regardless of how they spend their leisure time.

Video games, like other art forms, are either just another form of entertainment or, to certain artistically inclined people, an art form and media outlet worth studying, exploring, and creating. The former will do whatever with their lives; perhaps they will be a scientist, perhaps a construction worker, who knows. But the latter, the one who spends the most justified time on games, will hopefully go on to be in that (or a similar) industry. Entertainment and art are valid pursuits, and naturally have little to do with things like curing cancer, and there will always be people who are naturally inclined to choose the former. And that's fine.

So really, no. Video games are a fantastic artistic medium that humanity would be worse off without.

 

[DasDestroyer]

Then my future would be without my dream job, a Game Developer...
So yeah, I'd be worse off.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

I'd certainly read more. Probably get a bit more accomplished but otherwise I'd be mostly unchanged. If it was removed from my life completely, including all memories of gaming I'd probably be the same person but if I just up and quit this part of my life altogether; I'd be a sad panda.

I love gaming

 

[spartan231490]

Every now and again I start entertaining these thoughts. And then go back to gaming as per usual.


Seriously though, what would we all be doing without video games? If you think about the collective participation hours spent on them we (collectively) probably would have found a cure for cancer or be all a virtuoso at some instrument.

or we would have all read books or watched movies. which do you think is more likely?

escapism is escapism, regardless of the method.

 

[Rawne1980]

LOL. Good point, even if it was at the expense of gamers' mass intelligence.

Your alternative world sounds a bit more productive, if not a bit healthier (except for TV). Although I can't imagine what the sports, book, and media industry would look like without videogames to compete with.

I didn't mean all gamers have the IQ of plankton but there are a lot of them that would be outsmarted by a sea sponge and some of them dwell on the WoW forums .... probably because they can't remember how to log into the game.

Some are quite intelligent while others aren't. It's a bit more prominent in gamers though because they tend to post on various forums and not all of them would pass an IQ test to work as a burger wrapper in McDonalds.

Those that have the will to do bigger and better things are already studying or working in the field they enjoy and usually use gaming as a way to relieve stress after a hard day. Take that away and it would be a book or some other hobby.

And that wasn't an alternate world I described my friend. That was the 80's, when water was wetter, snow was colder and mullets .... well they still looked shit but it was more tolerable.

 

[aescuder]

Nope, that's not how it goes. I've seen that assumption a lot, and frankly it really annoys me. Cancer will be cured by a scientist, someone naturally interested and skilled in that area, regardless of how they spend their leisure time.

Video games, like other art forms, are either just another form of entertainment or, to certain artistically inclined people, an art form and media outlet worth studying, exploring, and creating. The former will do whatever with their lives; perhaps they will be a scientist, perhaps a construction worker, who knows. But the latter, the one who spends the most justified time on games, will hopefully go on to be in that (or a similar) industry. Entertainment and art are valid pursuits, and naturally have little to do with things like curing cancer, and there will always be people who are naturally inclined to choose the former. And that's fine.

So really, no. Video games are a fantastic artistic medium that humanity would be worse off without.

There is absolutely no way of knowing that humanity would be worse without videogames. Although I would like to think they would be but then again I'm pretty biased, as are all the people on this site.

Not arguing that video games are a fantastic art medium. And I know gamers would never be capable of curing cancer -- that was just an exaggeration really, although you really wouldn't know for sure. Apparently kids these days have spent enough time on videogames that by the time they are 21 it collectively equals a whole separate education or part-time job (apparently close to 10,000 hours). Don't quote me on this but I think that is as much time Bill Gates spent on computing when he was a teenager. (if you believe Jane McGonigal)

Just wondering what I would have spent the (roughly) 10,000 hours of hardcore engagement in my gaming career if video games didn't exist. I could have gotten into reading and writing and be a poor failed writer by now.lol

 

[aescuder]

Every now and again I start entertaining these thoughts. And then go back to gaming as per usual.


Seriously though, what would we all be doing without video games? If you think about the collective participation hours spent on them we (collectively) probably would have found a cure for cancer or be all a virtuoso at some instrument.

or we would have all read books or watched movies. which do you think is more likely?

escapism is escapism, regardless of the method.

I've read on Jane Mcgonigals research (look up Reality is Broken) that gamers are super-engaged in videogames not because they are really big on escapism but because games these days are designed to be engaging (or addicting if you want to be cynical).

So it's not because most gamers are escapist although I definitely am, but more of videogames being really good at creating blissful productivity. There is a constant feedback system and we always feel like we are accomplishing something.

 

[GuyUWishUWere]

And if all the musicians stopped playing music they'd have more time for games.

Ok, yeah, cancer, got me there.

Don't cave! You make a great point! The loss of a medium is the loss of a way to look at ourselves. No one was ever bettered by throwing away there ability to analyse. If you want to stop cancer you must look at it in as many ways as possible. Everything has value!

Also Game-like simulations are great for testing theories.

 

[Phishfood]

Every now and again I start entertaining these thoughts. And then go back to gaming as per usual.


Seriously though, what would we all be doing without video games? If you think about the collective participation hours spent on them we (collectively) probably would have found a cure for cancer or be all a virtuoso at some instrument.

Or more likely we would be rotting in front of the TV. Lets be realistic here.

I play computer games because work has used up most of my brain energy, but watching TV is too passive for me.

 

[Da Orky Man]

Every now and again I start entertaining these thoughts. And then go back to gaming as per usual.


Seriously though, what would we all be doing without video games? If you think about the collective participation hours spent on them we (collectively) probably would have found a cure for cancer or be all a virtuoso at some instrument.[/quote

Actually, gamers HAVE solved similar problems:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/video-game-news/8774220/Video-gamers-solve-microbiology-puzzle.html

We solved the protein of something that I think causes HIV.

 

[Deadlock Radium]

Id we didn't have gaming, all people would've been angry and pissy.
My opinion at least.

 

[Simeon Ivanov]

Maybe I'd watch more TV and read books ... but games are way more fun.

 

[aescuder]

Every now and again I start entertaining these thoughts. And then go back to gaming as per usual.


Seriously though, what would we all be doing without video games? If you think about the collective participation hours spent on them we (collectively) probably would have found a cure for cancer or be all a virtuoso at some instrument.[/quote

Actually, gamers HAVE solved similar problems:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/video-game-news/8774220/Video-gamers-solve-microbiology-puzzle.html

We solved the protein of something that I think causes HIV.

Go PS3 owners!lol

 

[Seventh Actuality]

Video games, like all art and leisure, make us healthier, happier and more imaginitive people. That's why they're not counted as "productive" - the benefits are entirely to the person engaging in them and not for some greater end (read: somebody else's profit). Then again, by being a better person you're more likely to do the world a few favours in the long run, so who knows? You can't measure this shit.

Apparently kids these days have spent enough time on videogames that by the time they are 21 it collectively equals a whole separate education or part-time job (apparently close to 10,000 hours). Don't quote me on this but I think that is as much time Bill Gates spent on computing when he was a teenager. (if you believe Jane McGonigal)

Isn't that just logic? Kids generally have a little more free time than time in college, and a kid who spends most of his time playing video games will logically clock in around as much time on them as he spends at school. Most of the shit people do between being born and going to work is pointless to a degree (a frighteningly high proportion of your time in school, for example) because the only benefit is to either helping the kid grow up or passing the time until the kid grows up.

 

[Spawny0908]

I would be doing better on school and more productive as a whole. I would also hate my life.

same here. or i'd watch more tv and still be doing just ok.

 

[Vykrel]

i dont think so. i for one, would be a worse person. gaming is the only hobby i truly enjoy. im not into sports, outdoor activities, or collecting things (ever since i got tired of pokemon cards). gaming is the only thing that doesnt bore the hell out of me.

it does make you wonder how our time would have been spent if we werent gaming, though.