Comments on: When gamers go mainstream

By: Fingal

Fingal — Mon, 05 May 2008 00:14:40 +0000

The entire over-39 demographic is bent on seizingRichard Bartle’s joystick, even if they have to pry it from his cold dead fingers.

By: Luis

Luis — Sun, 04 May 2008 21:29:29 +0000

“Some guy” clearly didn’t have enough fun as a child, through video games or any other form of entertainment.

By: Adam Thierer

Adam Thierer — Sat, 03 May 2008 21:06:47 +0000

Mr. Some Guy… I think your statement could be true just by substituting any other activity for “computer games.” For example, I would generally agree with the thesis that “The movers of the world don’t sit home wasting hours on BUILDING LEGOS.” Or that, “The movers of the world don’t sit home wasting hours on PLAYING WITH SILLY PUTTY.”

What I mean to say is that, if taken to the extreme, anything that keeps you in the house all day long in isolation is not likely good for your psychological development or your future leadership prospects. But, taken in good measure, I see absolutely no reason why gamers can’t become “movers of the world.”

Hell, my brother and I spent countless hours playing games together back in the 70s and 80s. Our mother and grandmother would constantly lecture us about “how we were never going to amount to anything if we didn’t get away from the tube.” Eventually, we got better about our self-control, and our parents found ways to incentivize us to do other things. And now my brother runs a successful computer business and I have written 7 books. Perhaps we’re not “movers of the world,” but we are doing just fine, thank you very much!

[Note: See the last part of this essay of mine for more thoughts on how to teach kids self-control and a "balanced media diet" when it comes to entertainment.]

By: Some guy

Some guy — Sat, 03 May 2008 19:48:40 +0000

The movers of the world don’t sit home wasting hours on computer games. The more of you that do, the better for those of us that don’t. Go ahead, play MORE games.

By: Lee D

Lee D — Sat, 03 May 2008 19:29:44 +0000

Building on Luis’ comment, every generation since the Etruscans (if not earlier) have bemoaned every social development they didn’t like as a harbinger of doom, and evidence of the impending collapse of society. The recurring meme is that the good old days were better, society is going to hell in a handbasket, and kids today have no respect.

Yet, amazingly, we soldier on.

By: Luis

Luis — Sat, 03 May 2008 14:50:19 +0000

Every generation since the Romans (or Victorians, depending on how you want to count) has grown up with porn, and we still hear how that warps our minds and needs to be regulated by the state. (Ditto dildos, and gay people, and booze, and… well, at least they stopped openly complaining about women’s rights.) So… at least the Americans reading this shouldn’t get too excited while there is still a viable theocratic political party.