Debate @MaryKullis on why video games are a waste of time - Why don't you GAMERS read a BOOK instead of playing into the Jews' escapism!

[Calandrino]

This seems like a much bigger waste of time than playing video games

 

[Whatevermancer]

video games are one of the worst and gayest forms of recreation. You get almost nothing good out of them and they are very addictive.
Its not "art" you are enjoying, its living in a fantasy world that is designed to give you little hits of dopamine by playing make believe like a hollywood faggot..

True, what else can I say. Although most other forms of entertainment(including browsing forums) are as bad as games.

 

[TheVoodooThatJewDo]

I want to understand the true nature of society, self, god, existence. Anyone got any good video game recommendations that will help get me there?
Really though, can we start with this:

Are some forms of 'entertainment' better or worse than others, or are they all the same?
If some are better or worse, what makes them such?

 

[souschef]

I'm playing video games right now

I want to understand the true nature of society, self, god, existence. Anyone got any good video game recommendations that will help get me there?

The first Deus Ex has very interesting dialogues about those themes

 

[Starefag]

Retarded arguments.
It depends on the game I'm playing
A more story based game I *do* pause and consider what's happening. Especially in larger more complex plots with esoteric bullshit (Cultist Simulator, book of hours, being prime examples)
Generally videogames use the interactivity as a way to express themes when they want to do things in an 'artsy' way. The goto example being the skills system in Disco Elysium, how putting points into different voices makes them cut into your dialogue. This is meant to potray the shattered state of the protagonist's mind. That's the big strength when it comes to interactive media, you don't *need* to have a dedicated pause moment or a processing time. Because the media has the option to immerse you in the ideas it's trying to present.

An example that's a more intense game? One that doesn't feel like a walking simulator?
Okay, SWAT4 and it's little brother Ready or Not
The moment to moment gameplay is about making split-second decisions that can cost you an entire mission, or if you're doing ironman, hours of work. It's meant to show the player the actual *work* involved in police work, to establish a rapport of understanding. Yes, cop jobs are difficult. This is what they do. But the system that these people work for is flawed.
Notice how it's established with barely a word spoken about the actual ideas beyond *what the cops are doing*. These ideas are conveyed to the player effortlessly because the player is in the driver's seat and is making the decisions in the moment.

TL;DR Movies and books are fine but games have a special niche that neither of them can really touch.

I want to understand the true nature of society, self, god, existence. Anyone got any good video game recommendations that will help get me there?

Faggoty answer, but Disco Elysium, despite being made by commies. Is a very good game and character study.
If you want a love story, and are a visual novel guy, you can try Slay The Princess. (There's some philosophical meat to chew on there, don't worry)
Dues Ex, as stated above, does that pretty well.

Both hotline miami games are very interesting and have some great gameplay to back up the themes of losing yourself to violence. Though they don't lay it on thick.
If you want a more buddhist take and don't mind something difficult, Rainworld is fucking fantastic.
If you like fallout, or post apocolyptic stories in general, check out underrail.

 

[sodaboard]

I want to understand the true nature of society, self, god, existence. Anyone got any good video game recommendations that will help get me there?

peggle

 

[oldTireWater]

Video games are exactly a waste of time. They're something you do to make time pass and not be left alone with your thoughts.

This was common knowledge in the early 90's. If you played video games (god forbid RPGs) you kept that shit to yourself lest you rightfully be bullied for it. Pretend to be normal when you're around other people and keep your degenerate hobbies to yourself.

 

[Drip Torch]

Going to play devils advocate here and say....
Never got anywhere with a girl with talking about video games.
So I would say there is some validity to OP's point.

 

[The Last Stand]

I want to understand the true nature of society, self, god, existence. Anyone got any good video game recommendations that will help get me there?

Play Journey. Or look elsewhere for that. So because video games would not provide enlightenment for YOU, they're ultimately worthless? I feel if you decided to make a video game centered around that goal, you'd end up making an unfun, intrusive entertainment product.

 

[Harvey Danger]

I want to understand the true nature of society, self, god, existence. Anyone got any good video game recommendations that will help get me there?

Yes, SOMA. It's also easy for non-gamers to get into.

Are some forms of 'entertainment' better or worse than others, or are they all the same?

It's all classified as leisure, defined as things to fill the spare time between the necessary and productive things you do. As long as whatever you're doing isn't actively detrimental or harmful to you, then it's extremely hard to say one is inherently better than the other.

"Oh but I learn so much more from--" then it isn't pure leisure, you're doing something else, like studying or self-improvement. Everyone can always be doing something "better" with their time than leisure, like hitting the gym or renovating your house or learning a new language. But then that's not leisure.

If you mean some piece of media "really made me think", then we can all pick a particular piece that did it for us. As an example, I've learned more about economics from certain video games than I did from any textbook. And I've learned way more about society--how it gets organized, culture and sub-culture formation--from multiplayer games, than I have from any movie.

If some are better or worse, what makes them such?

I personally hate passive consumption. Movies and TV shows aren't just passive, they are extremely long and inefficient ways to get ideas across. The stories they tell tend to be compacted for time (movies), or extended beyond reason, like they're filler to hit a minimum (TV). Reading is somewhat active, because the way text works in a forward-backward scannable format makes your brain do active work establishing links and imagining scenes. But it lacks the visual component; a picture literally is worth a thousand words.

Gaming doesn't really match up with any of those, although it draws elements from them. It can have storytelling, it can do visuals, but really it maxes out active participation in ways that aren't analogous to other entertainment forms. There no such thing as "competitive movie watching", for example.

I understand if that's not the preference for people, but saying movies or books are automatically superior is just absurd.

 

[Starefag]

SOMA

Soma, and PREY (2017) both touch on the ideas of humanity in pretty neat ways.
I'd say if you're willing to do a bit of ARG bullshit Who's Lila can be very interesting

 

[souschef]

Dues Ex, as stated above, does that pretty well.

It got me into Chesterton. I really like the foucaultian bartender too, at Hong Kong

If you want a more buddhist take and don't mind something difficult, Rainworld is fucking fantastic.

Can i find it on steam?

If you like fallout, or post apocolyptic stories in general, check out underrail.

My favorite modern cRPG

 

[The Last Stand]

Most of the world faces the same goyslop distractions. Its really hard to find a good book too, because there's so much garbage out there and the system will always promote the slop to keep people docile.
Many of those people who thought book readers were wasting their time perhaps lost their farms because they didn't learn about all the games that are being played with farmers, and then start to organize against it.

So rather than take initiative and venture out yourself, you rely on "the system" to provide you with low-effort suggestions? Sounds like a YOU problem.

 

[Starefag]

Can i find it on steam?

It's on steam, I reccomend trying out the base campaign (Survivor) for an hour or two and getting used to the movement. If you think you vibe with it, buy the DLC too.
If you like reading and cardgames, Cultist Simulator is my personal favorite for combining gameplay with themes

 

[Banworld Creature]

A good movie is way better than a video game (though there aren't many good movies IMO.) They are at least an attempt at telling a story that speaks to the human experience. You could say video games do that too, but a movie is 90 minutes, not 90 hours/weeks/months. A movie lets you engage with your thoughts/feelings, rather than focusing on trying to avoid monster ray blasts or whatever shit. Etc etc.
Yes it is more productive to read, think about and discuss Real social issues than it is to engulf yourself in 100% False reality.

Translation: The only thing I know about video games is the mindless AAA slop, so therefore all games are mindless slop.

 

[Barn Cat]

Yes, SOMA. It's also easy for non-gamers to get into.

This would be my suggestion, but the existential philosophy it discusses is heavily hidden behind the guise of a survival horror which does not lend well to non-gamers, especially those not into experiencing the heights of stress and adrenaline gaming can induce.

I suggest that Red Dead Redemption 2 is a story meant to be played and experienced through game loops you cannot directly experience through literature alone.

 

[Starefag]

I suggest that Red Dead Redemption 2 is a story meant to be played and experienced through game loops you cannot directly experience through literature alone.

Decent pick. I don't love RDR2 but I'd be lying if I said Arthur's story didn't give me a little bit of a feels moment.

I just remember receiver 2 exists as well. That one's extremely philosophical in between fast paced gunfights

 

[Professor G. Raff]

It's hard to ever take this subject seriously because it's impossible to present without being a massive hypocrite. It always comes down to calling a leisure activity a waste of time, while somehow this other leisure activity is not a waste of time... and there are people who will call their preferred leisure activity a waste of time and they'll use the same logic in arguing for it they'll ignore in the previous argument. It's always just extreme personal bias against something they personally don't like or being a psycho who thinks anything fun that isn't work (usually work, depending on what they consider the all encompassing purpose of life) is a waste of time.

It's just circular retardation, not even worth bringing up their pet hated subject in rebuttal because it's just a fill-in-the-blank generic yelling at cloud.

 

[TheVoodooThatJewDo]

Thanks for all the serious feedback. I will check out this Deus Ex game and try process the serious responses and respond ASAP.

 

[umseriously]

I have my PS5 pro that I'm pretty happy with. A man should be happy with whatever he chooses to do; he is not meant to be a slave to the whims or expectations of others. If someone doesn't like what I'm doing, too bad, I go my own way.