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Retroflections

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Video Games Changed Our Lives

by on Sep. 15, 2009, under Life

videoI have had a little chance to view a tad of the Beatles game Rock Band. Boy do I want that for my Wii. Of course folks I will be glad if you want to mail one to me. Heck I will even pick it up if you wanted to offfer me one. But kidding aside, the graphics are great and as we know the music is awesome. I will have to put this wonderful game for my Wii on hold until I pay off little things like my household bills. However, as always, this video game got me thinking. (What’s new?)

 Video games not only changed how we played games, but it changed how we live our life. Playing games meant socializing and playing with others. It meant actually inviting someone like your brother or sister, mom or dad, or gosh just some friends into your space to play fun little board games. Of course with video games you can isolate and you do not need social skills to play.

 As a kid, we did not have these games so we had to learn how to play with others and have real physical activity. We had to learn social skills and meet other people and actually move our lips and talk. We had to use our ears and listen, and we had to interact with other humans. Thank God with video games you do not have to interact with anything except for a machine.

 We also had to be physical. Gosh ADHD was barely heard of in our day and we did not have kids on mind altering drugs because they were bouncing off the wall. No we had to do things the old fashioned way and actually move and play. You know roller-skate, ride a bike, walk, run, jump and skip. All those things that our children don’t dare do now. Heaven forbid we allow our children to get out of breath. It was awful growing up without video games; we climbed trees, played baseball in the streets, rode our bikes, and actually played an occasional tag and hide and seek. It was just awful that we had to breathe fresh air and be healthy. I’m surprised us folks in our 50s survived it.

 The fact that we have video games that allow our imagination to come to life on a screen is a relief. As children we had to use our creativity and tap into our mind and imagine things. Now the computer games do that for you, and often, it does it for you in 3D. We don’t have to worry about imagination anymore and thank goodness there are just a few chosen ones who create the games that get to use their imagination and I am sure that is a hardship, and we are so grateful they have sacrificed so much for us so they can give us their imagination instead of using our own.

 Still, there is something to be said about video games. I know for me, I have had fun with them. Yes I had a pong, and an Atari, and a Nintendo, which by the way is now in spell check. Yes I have a Game Boy and an Ipod touch with games on it and I even have a Wii. I guess for me it is about balance. I play maybe a few hours a month. I use my Wii as part of a social structure. Wii bowling leagues are the best for socializing and you really have to move. As soon as someone decides to send me the Wii Beatles rock band, I will start a social group of monthly Beatles jams. 

 Oh well so stay tuned next time for the history of video games, which was what this article was supposed to be all about. It’s funny what happens once we allow ourselves to think.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 at 2:38 pm and is filed under Life. Tags for this post: , , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  • ldonyo

    I hope in your research on video games you learn that the median age of the average player of video games is 35 years old and not the grade school child you seem to believe it is. I also hope you learn about LAN parties, Xbox LIVE and the Playstation Network. Those are all very social gaming avenues, some of which are done in person and some of which are done over the Internet. Video games are being played by people of all ages from all walks of life all over the globe, not just guys in their parents’ basements.

    • http://tylerwoods.org Tyler Woods

      Thanks so much for your feedback. As a psychotherapist I deal with many parents who have children addicted to video games and do not go outside, do not socialize, and do not do well in school. I rarely work with a parent that brings in their 35 year old (though i am sure some would love to) So I think working with this for a living I have learned a great deal. Though in Arizona, I was unaware that we had basements, perhaps that that is what I need to research. Happy gaming

  • Patrick O

    I have Beatles Rock Band on the Wii, and it’s fun but I think it is overrated (and overpriced when you add the cost of accessory controllers)
    Its fun for a social gathering, but personally I can’t wait for another addition of Zelda :)

    • http://tylerwoods.org Tyler Woods

      Oh this is good to know, sure of course it has to be overrated otherwise it wont sell :) Now Zelda, there is a blast from my past!

  • Bjay

    I’m a 40-year-old gamer lol.  I play a game using voice where I talk to other regular players I’ve gotten to know and we coordinate and plan things and also talk about our lives and socialize.  Sometimes there is role playing or just sitting around and joking with each other.
     
    I play a PC game that can almost be described as a MOO with basic simple graphics.  So while you can manipulate stuff on screen, you still have to use your imagination to really get into it.
     
    For some reason, even though it’s not outside, it reminds me of going over to my friend’s houses when I was young, knocking on the door and asking if they could go outside to play kickball or hide and seek.
     
    It gives me that same feeling of play.  And our chit chat is often very similar.    When I was young, me and my sisters would be like, “I’m Jill,  your Sabrina and she’s Kelly.  We are investigating a series of bank robberies for Charlie…” or “The basement is the bridge of the Enterprise and when you go up the stairs we’ll be on another planet…”  It’s really nice to be 40 years old and to be able to recapture those playful and fun times.
     
    I play with mostly other “old” people.  There are young players on the game but many are often are out surfing, snowboarding, BMX biking, skate boarding and play when they get a chance.
     
    When the group I play with has had “in-person” gatherings, they’ve been camping trips or spending the day walking around Disneyland or or the city.
     
    I think the stereotype of what a gamer is, is changing.  Many young gamers are very active and into extreme sports.  Well at least in the PC games I’ve played – I have PlayStation and Wii but really don’t play those a whole lot as I like the multiplayer experience with people I get to know and haven’t figured out how to do multiplayer on those yet lol. :)
     
    There still are people who have addictive personalities and play games 24/7.  However, if not the game they’d be watching TV or addicted to something else.  But I really think it’s better than it was say 10 years ago when the new systems and more advanced PC games came out and we were so excited we didn’t know what to do with ourselves.
     
     

    • http://tylerwoods.org Tyler Woods

      Sounds like you have great fun. I only game a few hours a month and that is for giggles and grins, however, you have really shed some awesome light on this and would love to hear more about MOO. And yes I was pretty much talking about those”kids” with addictive personalities who would rather play a game in front of a TV rather than go for a walk, or just get out and be a kid. What we adults do with our time, we have earned…lol

      • Bjay

        I don’t get to play as much as I like since I have so much other stuff to do.  When when I do, it’s great fun.
         
        MOO and MUD games are kind of text-based.  They are like the grand daddies of today’s multi player games.  Kind of like the Commodore or old Atari games in that respect.  They usually don’t have graphics.  You read what’s going on.  In those, some of the players could create or participate in the programming too, creating new objects and scenarios.
         
        The game I play doesn’t have the programming or create part, but it’s really similar to the text adventure and it doesn’t have a set “track” that you play and you do create your own scenarios by how you choose to play.  Some people use it as a chat client on steroids only.  Some people create their own professions and ways to make money that were never intended as part of the game, but they can get pretty creative.  Plus the “world” is more affected by players than by the programmers.
         
        It’s pretty interesting I’ve always thought more studies should be done on these little microcosm worlds.

        • Bjay

          I also wanted to add.  It seems like people who play the MOO, MUD, and certain games…it sometimes causes them to get interested in scripting languages, programming, etc., and they come away with skills they can use in the real world.
           
          Plus these games, often ask for volunteeers to help on the website, forum, in-game events.  To get really ahead, at least in my game, you have to understand math formulas and to keep track of stuff, many players use things like computer spreadsheets or even create their own programs.  So they end up learning stuff but having fun.
           
          Even guild masters of large well-known guilds often put that on their resumes.
           
          All this said…my own son would prefer to play WOW.  He thinks mine is too hard.  Because he’s only 8, some of the words and concepts are hard for him now.  Plus WOW looks more like a the cool flashy  cartoons he likes.
           
          Out of curiosity, what do you think of the virtual world/multiplayer games that are being targeted at youger and younger kids – even into preschool.  I’m talking about stuff like Webkins and Club Penguin.  Not sure if you are familiar with those.  But they do have some elements of gambling and really bad materialism lol.  Although I like to play games…I’m not quite sure what to think about those at all.  My son used to play those occasionally (as did most of his classmates), but then he got tired of it.
           
          Luckily he’s not addicted to games.  Now cartoons, that’s another story lol.

          • http://tylerwoods.org Tyler Woods

            You asked what I thought of virtual world/multiplayer games that are being targeted at younger and younger kids…..and I say egads, can we at least teach them their ABC’s I know I know the video games can do that now…..but can those video games love them or reassure them? Can the video games of today teach our children how good a hug feels, or how a kiss makes an ouchie go away?
            I think it goes back to balance.

            I believe we would be doing harm if we did not introduce our children to computers and modern technology at a young age, at the same time, what I believe we have lost in this world goes back to BALANCE….sort of the yin and yang of things. Balance, balance balance. Can our kids (and adults) play games 4 or 5 hours a week rather than 4 or 5 hours a day? So I suppose the answer would be sure why not BUT……for how long? An hour, two hours three hours? What beauties await our children while they are in a virtual world?

            I guess we need a game to teach us all time management…lol

  • Jennatoolz

    Awesome…I totally can relate to this story. As a kid, I played outside with the other kids in the neighborhood. Somehow we always found things to do. Then, once I got into middle school, I started playing video games, and preferred to stay in more often than not. If I wasnt playing a video game, I was in a Yahoo! chat room making friends that way. Now, I’m so used to staying indoors, I feel like I’ve almost forgotten how to go be “social.”

    I really enjoy playing WoW. That game is mega addicting, but I don’t let it get in the way of more important things like school/work/family.  Some people do let it take priority in their lives, and they take the game way too seriously. Not I! It’s fun to play while I have some time to kill. =)

  • Bjay

    Tyler, someone TOTALLY needs to create a time management game!
     

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  • Erskine

    I don’t know, but I’m not really agree with your opinion that said it was awful growing up without video games.. Actually active outbond Games has it own plus side. And I remember growing up not too much attached with video games, and actually it’s fun. I missed those moments.

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