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Are Games A Waste Of Time? |
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 Are Games A Waste Of Time?
Monday, October 20th, 2003
Muscles tensed, eyes focused, fingers clutching the mouse. Nothing can tear him away from his object of focus, not food, not television, not phone calls. Nothing.
That is how my brother behaves when he is playing his computer games. He is an obsessive gamer, and has been for as long as I can remember. He can go on for hours and hours, and he is not alone. My brother is just one example from a pool of increasing gaming community. Gaming to those like my brother is not just gaming, it is in fact, a religion, and they are all fervent devotees.
The Fixation With Games
I have a neighbour upstairs who keeps me awake on countless nights. More often than not, I found myself jerked awake from my near-sleep status with his constant pounding on the floor. What the hell is he doing, chasing after cockroaches and stepping on them? It remained one of life's greatest mysteries for me until recently, where, quite by chance, I finally unraveled the mystery.
He gets too excited while playing Counter-strike and hence, has behaved like a crazed lunatic on occasions, and of course, oblivious to the effect he has on the poor suffering neighbour downstairs.
Yet another example is a friend of mine, whose prime passion for the past three years up till now is Ultima Online. Despite the fact that she has to go to work early everyday, she spends a great deal of time every night playing her beloved online addiction. Ever so often at work, she will call her fellow fanatics and they will discuss the game, or events in the game they played the previous night.
Why The Fascination?
To non-gamers, the enthrallment of gaming completely eludes them. What is the fascination about sitting in front of the PC all day, killing a bunch of people, watching blood spill and cars crash? To parents, gaming is just a total waste of time, energy and effort, and they dismiss gamers as generally hopeless.
What then, is that magical "X" factor that makes computer games so special? I for one regard gaming as a waste of time and fail to understand the allure of this pursuit that has devoured my friends, family and yes, neighbours.
Gamers will tell you that there are a variety of reasons why they choose to submerge themselves in the world of gaming.
The Charm Of Games
From what I know, many local gamers play because games are challenging. With the ever-increasing progression of technology and the emergence of Internet, computer gaming has advanced in leaps and bounds. In this day and age, one has no trouble playing games on the Internet, pitting themselves against hundreds of zealous gamers from other countries, especially in Singapore, where Internet is easily accessible. One can also now play a game where you could customize characters and nurture them.
Apart from that, genres of games have multiplied as well. They are no longer simple and straightforward, they now require careful assessment and intricate analysis. You can now build business empires that require advertising strategies, or participate in a shooting game of terrorists and counter-terrorists. Some of the games allow you to be absorbed in the world of Star Wars, or fulfill your childhood superhero fantasy by creating your own superhero. The virtual world is full of possibilities.
Besides the challenging factor, many treat gaming as a stress reliever. Singapore is a highly-competitive society. After a long hard day at work or school, gaming is a great way to relieve frustration at work with colleagues, or to unfetter pressure from school. It allows you that brief period of time to get away from reality, a chance to be immersed in your own world. To many, it is convenient, comforting and gratifying. Just turn on your pc and off you go.
Above and beyond that, games provide a great deal of entertainment and offer you value for money as well. Singapore is such a tiny country; there is no sprawling countryside for you to explore, no "sky-scraping" mountains for you to climb, no road trips for you to embark on. One could always watch movies, scout for delicious food or hang out at Starbucks, but other than that, what ELSE can we really do, that is entertaining, stimulating
and economical?
Gaming is, in many ways, a gateway to fostering relationships. It breaks down physical, age, gender and sometimes, language barriers. Individuals can stay in the comfort of their homes and play an online game with their gaming buddies from other countries. Gamers play with their siblings, significant others, colleagues, friends, and strangers who eventually became friends. It has the ability to break down the differences between people and accentuate on the similarities.
So, Gaming Is Superb, Huh?
Well, not really. Gaming has long been perceived in the eyes of the public as an unhealthy pastime. People do not take gamers seriously. My parents, for instance, cannot understand why my brother is so serious about his games and I am sure scores of parents echo their sentiments.
Many people just do not see the qualities of gaming. Having looked at all the merits of gaming, it does not necessarily mean that we should all start playing computer games now. Gaming can also cause dents in relationships, reduce your social skills, or lessen work productivity. Naming the qualities of gaming is simply to illustrate that it is not necessarily a god-awful thing, but being utterly fixated on it is indeed unhealthy.
Gaming has its pros and cons, and perhaps we should not be so narrow-minded and look at it in a lopsided manner, no matter which side of the divide we decide to stand on.
Singapore has a metropolitan landscape and many of us are shaped by our urban culture. Being exposed to technology in many aspects of our life, is it really a wonder that many have taken up computer gaming?
Hence, having unearthed the various reasons behind why Singaporeans are so enamoured with gaming, hopefully, it can open up minds to look at computer gaming from a more objective perspective.
Khabal Gaming
By Leona Ang
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