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In Defense of Adult Gamers

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  • In Defense of Adult Gamers

    A defense of those of us who are adults and enjoy our games.

    --------------

    What about adults playing video games? Let’s plunge into the video games and find out.

    Yesterday, I was watching a Matt Walsh video about a video game. I was curious since it was about Scooby-Doo and something happening with Velma. Anyway, Velma is a character in a game called Multiversus and 34 players filed a complaint about Velma calling a police car.

    For the part about the politics, I thoroughly agree. However, I did notice when he said that the problem was really adults playing a video game about Scooby-Doo. At the end, he did make another short statement about adult gamers. I thought about some things I could say on Facebook, but my thoughts got so long I figured a blog post was better.

    At the start, Walsh says he has been hard on the adult gaming community in the past. He does say it’s not a community just because you share an interest, but I disagree on that point at the start. Friendships often do start with common interests. Just today on campus I managed to start a Facebook group at our seminary for gaming. It can include board, card, video, tabletop, mobile, or collectible card games.

    Walsh also does say in moderation it’s fine. He thinks a Scooby-Doo game is ridiculous, but in moderation, it’s fine. It’s worth pointing out for those who don’t know that Multiversus contains Scooby-Doo characters, but it is not a Scooby-Doo game. It contains other characters from the WB universe.

    On moderation, I agree, and I think that applies to everything. As a conservative Christian, that even includes ministry work. If you are so involved in ministry that you neglect your family, for instance, you need to take a step back. People have to work to provide, but if you are married to your job more than your spouse, you have a problem. Even Ecclesiastes says too much study will make you tired and Aquinas argued that we need to play to refresh ourselves.

    Walsh says the rejoinder he gets from gamers is “You watch football don’t you?” He does say it’s a little bit different, but doesn’t explain how it is. Now on my end, I could say watching 22 grown men go and tear each other up over a pointy-shaped object called a ball seems ridiculous to me. That’s also fine. We don’t have to have the same interests.

    Yet some differences I want to point out on my end is that watching a sport is really a very passive activity. When you’re playing a game, you have to be engaged and you have to use your mind. Of course, you can be thinking in a football game, but there is nothing in the game that depends on your thinking. An Einstein and an idiot can both watch the game and think all they want about it and it won’t change the game a bit.

    Also, many sporting events have some real-life consequences. I know a number of people who are intense pain later in life because they played football early on. The most danger you could be in from gaming would likely be some Carpal-Tunnel Syndrome. Also, I know that in many cases, when a team wins a major sporting event, like the Super Bowl, there’s a lot of rioting that happens in the town. Now I could be mistaken in this, but I have yet to hear of a town that was destroyed because someone or a team won the Pokemon World Championships or some other Esport event.

    I would also agree that if you enjoy sports though, enjoy it in moderation. However, with sports, I notice that you can have a third of a nightly news broadcast dedicated to sports and news programs on the radio for hours dedicated to sports. I honestly wonder what can be said. That’s my ignorance speaking there. For games, we have an immense library of them we can talk about.

    Walsh explains more that he doesn’t like the term community because it makes it a lifestyle that your world revolves around. I don’t know anyone who refers to the gaming community who thinks such a thing. I’m sure for the overwhelming majority of us that if we knew someone whose life did revolve around video games, we’d tell them to get help.

    He also says our lives should not revolve around entertainment. Properly understood, I can agree, but I’m hesitant since one of my main emphases in understanding my Christian faith has been the joy of God and enjoying the world He has made. There are too many who have guilted Christians just because they enjoy something.

    There is also something else about gaming. Gaming can be very intellectually engaging, especially in RPGs, since a story is told. You can base a philosophy course easily on video games. Right now for a class, I’m working on a paper on the themes of redemption and resurrection in Final Fantasy IV. As a kid playing this game just for fun, I never would have noticed this, but as an adult, I see it all over the game.

    Gaming is also not an expensive hobby for the most part. The most expensive is probably buying a new console when it comes out. For us, you can buy several games at a cheap price and enjoy them thoroughly for hours. If you have hard copies, you can trade with friends.

    For me also, as an Aspie, this allows me to connect with people. My mind works well with games and my former DivorceCare leader told my folks even that my gaming has an impact on my going to seminary. I have been playing games about fighting the battle of good vs evil all my life and I want to go out and have adventures where I am actually taking on evil. Peter Kreeft has said apologetics is the closest you come to saving the world.

    In the evenings here, if the weather is nice, I go out walking and I have Pokemon Go at the same time. I get to see some of my fellow students and greet them and they greet me. It has been a joy to be on campus barely even a month and already students know me.

    Also, many of our interests today come from things that resonated in our childhood. When the new Batman movie came out, who did I see it with? My nearly 70 year-old Dad. These movies aren’t just being made for kids. Adults love the superhero movies. For my Dad and I, it’s a connection as he grew up with these heroes and I can explain the new ones that I grew up watching in cartoons. I suspect if I get to have a kid someday, I will introduce him to the games I played as a kid.

    In closing, I really keep thinking of something my therapist once told me. “An idol is always what someone else is doing.” I also think about how C.S. Lewis said that as an adult, he read fairy tales in the open. When he became an adult, he put away childish things, including the fear of being childish. I highly encourage people to lead multi-faceted lives and honor Christ with all they do, and that includes your hobbies and gaming. All that I do, I do seriously. When it’s time to study, I do, and when it’s time to play, I play seriously as well.

    Overall, I agree with Walsh and much of what he says. None of this is meant to be antagonistic. It’s just explaining what myself and my fellow gamers do and how we enjoy our lives. I hope many of them would agree with what I said, at least about games as they might not agree on politics.

    In Christ,
    Nick Peters
    (And I affirm the virgin birth)
    What about adults playing video games? Let’s plunge into the video games and find out. Yesterday, I was watching a Matt Walsh video about a video game. I was curious since it was about Scooby-Doo and something happening with Velma. Anyway, Velma is a character in a game called Multiversus and 34 players filed a … Continue reading In Defense of Adult Gamers

  • #2
    Yup, I don't understand why stuff like watching a lot of TV and sports gets a pass as "normal" and "healthy", whereas playing video games moderately is looked down upon as "childish", and "unhealthy". I'd suggest the videos by Max Derrat on YouTube for anyone who wants to see just how in depth video games can be for storytelling, creativity, philosophy, and more.

    He also has a lot of content about Autism/Asperger's Syndrome. One of his videos was the straw that broke the camel's back when it comes to figuring out I had it myself. I had a couple of red flags before, but my knowledge of the subject was too low to connect the dots that it was a possibility I had it.

    Comment


    • #3
      I generally suck at video games but I still like to play them sometimes. I also like board games. My favorite are RPGs.




      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Sparko View Post
        I generally suck at video games but I still like to play them sometimes. I also like board games. My favorite are RPGs.


        I quit playing video games nearly 20 years ago after realizing I could beat games that I had never even seen.

        I'm always still in trouble again

        "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
        "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
        "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Sparko View Post
          I generally suck at video games but I still like to play them sometimes. I also like board games. My favorite are RPGs.


          Most games can be learned with just some practice. A lot of the "hard" games just require you to get used to the controls and memorize patterns. The kind of input can help too. MMO's and first person shooters are generally better with mouse and keyboard, while platformers and adventure games are better with controllers.

          You should get Table Top Simulator on Steam. You can play all kinds of board games online with your friends. The Steam Workshop has most any board game you can think of uploaded on there. There are also a lot of good RPG games on Steam too. Persona 4 Golden, Bug Fables The Everlasting Sapling, Chrono Trigger, Disgaea, a bunch of Final Fantasy games, and a bunch of the "Tales of" games* are all really good.

          I've been able to play some really cool games this year, but I haven't gotten to go fishing yet. Hopefully we will be able to sometime before it gets too cold.

          *Tales of Berseria, Tales of Symphonia, and Tales of Zestiria are all really good. They also have a multiplayer component, but they need a good connection for the remote play together feature to work.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
            I quit playing video games nearly 20 years ago after realizing I could beat games that I had never even seen.
            Not sure why that should make you want to stop playing them. If you are wanting a challenging game I know of a few that most people never end up beating, and a few that are completely impossible.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Cerebrum123 View Post

              Not sure why that should make you want to stop playing them. If you are wanting a challenging game I know of a few that most people never end up beating, and a few that are completely impossible.
              I am literally telling folks how to beat challenges without even seeing them or in a couple of cases seeing them try and fail twice to get past something they've been stuck at for a day or so.

              These tend to be battles that they cannot win.

              I'm always still in trouble again

              "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
              "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
              "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
                I quit playing video games nearly 20 years ago after realizing I could beat games that I had never even seen.
                A likely story.

                About the only arcade video game I am good at is Angry Birds. I tend to like RPG games like World of Warcraft, or more intellectual/puzzle games like Myst or Secret of Monkey Island. I tried playing FPS games like Halo but I just don't have the coordination for it. I also like the old arcade games from the 70s and 80s. I built a Raspberry Pi MAME type arcade box that has all of those old games on it.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
                  I am literally telling folks how to beat challenges without even seeing them or in a couple of cases seeing them try and fail twice to get past something they've been stuck at for a day or so.

                  These tend to be battles that they cannot win.
                  Knowing how to beat something and being able to do it yourself are two different things. Also, a few different boss and battle strategies are shared between different games, but that doesn't make them any less worth playing. Since you seem to need a challenge I have a few suggestions. Crypt of the Necrodancer, part dungeon crawler part rhythm game, Hollow Knight, Elden Ring, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(NES) Risk of Rain 1 and 2(most any roguelike games really) and Battletoads (Sega version with two players enabled).

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Sparko View Post

                    A likely story.

                    About the only arcade video game I am good at is Angry Birds. I tend to like RPG games like World of Warcraft, or more intellectual/puzzle games like Myst or Secret of Monkey Island. I tried playing FPS games like Halo but I just don't have the coordination for it. I also like the old arcade games from the 70s and 80s. I built a Raspberry Pi MAME type arcade box that has all of those old games on it.
                    I believe I've mentioned this before but the very first game I played was Doom. A friend of a friend was coaching me through it and I think he decided I was having too easy a time because he led me into a "boss fight" laughing that he's nearly impossible to beat.

                    Took him down first try. No problem.

                    How?

                    I know tactics.

                    For instance, instead of standing there blazing away as the monster ran up and killed me in a single hit like everyone else, I engaged in a slow withdrawal while still shooting. I kept backing up as I shot thereby increasing the distance the monster had to travel allowing me to pump more rounds into him. The thing literally got right up to me and raised its arm to swing -- and fell over dead.

                    My friend's friend was pissed. He accused my friend of bringing over a ringer and refused to offer any more advise.

                    That would be far from the last time.

                    I'd hear about a fight coming up in the game I'm playing and would plan everything in my head for a long drawn out bloodbath with a nearly unbeatable monster only to take it down so quickly I am left stunned and disappointed.

                    It gets old after awhile.



                    Now when I say it has been 20 years that does not include playing a Baldur's Gate game last Summer. When I entered the last chapter all of my characters were already maxed out. I stopped using certain weapons and spells because the characters were mowing down everything before me making it far, far too easy even on maximum difficulty. In fact, my spellcasters had every possible spell available and gained nothing whatsoever but a few more hit points the last several level ups.



                    I'm always still in trouble again

                    "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                    "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                    "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Sparko View Post

                      A likely story.

                      About the only arcade video game I am good at is Angry Birds. I tend to like RPG games like World of Warcraft, or more intellectual/puzzle games like Myst or Secret of Monkey Island. I tried playing FPS games like Halo but I just don't have the coordination for it. I also like the old arcade games from the 70s and 80s. I built a Raspberry Pi MAME type arcade box that has all of those old games on it.
                      I think you could play certain FPS games. Sea of Thieves doesn't require a lot of quick reflexes unless other players come to loot your ship*. Deep Rock Galactic is a bit hectic, but you have a lot of difficulty options and multiple classes that can reduce the need to aim accurately or quickly, and even Halo I think you can learn if you gave another chance. The thing is you need to have a chance to acclimate to the controls first, I would recommend something like Portal and Portal 2, which are puzzle based games that use the first person perspective. They are also often super cheap on Steam and Portal 2 has multiplayer. Once you are comfortable with Portal and Portal 2 style controls you can move on to something that requires a bit more quick reactions, maybe something like Left 4 Dead 2 on easy mode. Oh, and Warframe is a good one to get used to games with a bit more action. Even RumTumTugger was able to get used to and play that one. They also are giving out a free Warframe to for people who log in before September 21st, it is a completely free to play game too, so even if you don't like it at most you waste a bit of time trying it.

                      I have a huge list of games I can recommend that are good for someone who might want to try out a genre they have never played before, or they tried but seemed too difficult. Also it looks like the group I normally play with won't be on until much later today. If you want to play something or just hang out for a while just let me know. I'm going to go and do morning routine stuff, but that shouldn't take too long to finish.

                      *You can also use your sword instead of a gun in close quarters, which is viable even in fighting other players.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Cerebrum123 View Post

                        Knowing how to beat something and being able to do it yourself are two different things. Also, a few different boss and battle strategies are shared between different games, but that doesn't make them any less worth playing. Since you seem to need a challenge I have a few suggestions. Crypt of the Necrodancer, part dungeon crawler part rhythm game, Hollow Knight, Elden Ring, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(NES) Risk of Rain 1 and 2(most any roguelike games really) and Battletoads (Sega version with two players enabled).
                        It's both.

                        I know what to do and then do it. I tell people what tactic to employ and they succeed.

                        I'm sure there must be games out there like this that would challenge me but so far, if they are even barely linked to how things work in the real world, I have not had any difficulties that I can think of. Correction. There was this challenge within a game where you could gain some cool stuff that I wasn't able to complete. I got all the way to the final challenge and the nicest prize but could not beat it.

                        I'm always still in trouble again

                        "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                        "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                        "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
                          It's both.

                          I know what to do and then do it. I tell people what tactic to employ and they succeed.

                          I'm sure there must be games out there like this that would challenge me but so far, if they are even barely linked to how things work in the real world, I have not had any difficulties that I can think of. Correction. There was this challenge within a game where you could gain some cool stuff that I wasn't able to complete. I got all the way to the final challenge and the nicest prize but could not beat it.
                          So if you are that good, you should play something like League of Legends professionally and get rich playing tournaments. E-sports is big business.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Sparko View Post

                            So if you are that good, you should play something like League of Legends professionally and get rich playing tournaments. E-sports is big business.
                            If they have competitions strictly in the sort of games I liked playing, that would be something worth looking into.

                            It would be interesting to see how I'd rank -- if at all -- next to some of the best.

                            I'm always still in trouble again

                            "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                            "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                            "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
                              It's both.

                              I know what to do and then do it. I tell people what tactic to employ and they succeed.

                              I'm sure there must be games out there like this that would challenge me but so far, if they are even barely linked to how things work in the real world, I have not had any difficulties that I can think of. Correction. There was this challenge within a game where you could gain some cool stuff that I wasn't able to complete. I got all the way to the final challenge and the nicest prize but could not beat it.
                              The original Doom wasn't that difficult to begin with. It only got tougher to a decent challenge if you put it on the hardest mode. In the 2016 Doom you won't get far if you are kiting and being tactical, which is the way I normally play FPS games too. You have to be more aggressive in that one otherwise you will die pretty quick, unless you are on easy or normal difficulty. Once I figured out how I had to be much more aggressive it was easier, but still a challenge. It was still nothing compared to Risk of Rain 2, which is difficult even when you have people join you in co-op. In fact it can become more difficult that way. Tactics still play a part in the games I mentioned in my previous post, but you still need quick reaction times, and a good amount of practice. Here are a few more that are notoriously difficult, The Lion King, Aladdin, and Toy Story on Sega Genesis. Resident Evil 1-2 on Hard Mode, Resident Evil Code Veronica X on Hard Mode. Super Meat Boy is hard, but fair. It will tax your platforming skills to their limit, especially in the Dark World.

                              If none of those offer a challenge then you need to start getting into PVP games, where the difficulty will be based on your opponents. Rocket League, DOTA 2, League of Legends, Paladins, Team Fortress 2, and CS:GO are all team PVP games, but if you are looking for one on one, then some fighting games like Tekken 7, Street Fighter V, Skullgirls, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Soul Calibur 6 are the way to go.

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