What is Jtf's opinion on video games?

[The Noachide]

Describe how it affects children and adults in this society and your opinion on this activity.

[Joe Gutfeld]

Video games is one of the reasons that kids today are so fat.  The other ones are computers, youtube, facebook, and the remote control.

[Zelhar]

I think video games can develop some good thinking skills and imagination. I used to play allot of games like Dune, Starcraft and other RTS, also turn based strategy like civilization, Heroes of Might and Magic, Master of Orion II ...

In my case I might get "addicted" to playing a certain game for a few days. I hardly play anything anymore.

[The Noachide]

Good points, but the thought that video games leads children to become fat is not reasonable. That culprit would go to fast foods like mcdonalds, burger king.

I was having this topic discussion on facebutt with another noahide, and some old fool jumped in and said "video games is a disease in the personality for children and should be banned." I had to facepalm him and linked a video game video that caters to all age groups even to old people.

[angryChineseKahanist]

me too. I used to play civ and moo and also doom.
but right now I have on my computers and devices: zero games.

[Israel Chai]

The addiction to computer games can be almost as difficult to break, especially for young people, as cocaine. Numerous studies have come to this conclusion. Also, your mind idles only slightly more on computer games than T.V., so it is not the place to find intellectual stimulation. It can lead to social isolation, and as for being fat, I can eat two chickens a day, and if I play computer instead of working out, it brings on fat fast. I wasted a lot of my early life on computer games, due to my unique problems in my environment, that made me start on this to escape from the world, which later made the decision to take other escapes more normal. It eats up your self-determination, because you don't need to chase actual enjoyment in life when you can use computer games as a poor temporary fix. It is a waste of time, and there have been countless lives spent on trying to beat the same exact games, to no benefit whatsoever to anyone, though many work at games like they are a job.

That being said, they're only marginally more addictive than movies, and if you live in a normal social situation, it is less likely that you become addicted. I have known someone who was abandoned by his parents, and lives his whole life on final fantasy and the welfare line, and the occasional medical testing. It is amusing to play games in moderation, which we all need, but the games will make it so players are almost always encouraged to play more or play the game again and again. Games do little to stimulate imagination, unless you are the designer, but can be an excellent tool to introduce new ideas and technologies.

In sum, computer games can destroy your life, and an addiction to them is extremely dangerous, as it will take up your life, and either you will enjoy it, or you will get to the point where you couldn't possibly imagine anything else to do. Think of an hour on a computer game as a glass of liquor, and don't abuse it.

[Rubystars]

It's like any other hobby. Whether it's healthy or not depends on how much time is devoted to it, whether it interferes with work/school, and the choices of the video games themselves. Super Mario Bros. is better for a kid to play than Grand Theft Auto.

[Israel Chai]

It's like any other hobby. Whether it's healthy or not depends on how much time is devoted to it, whether it interferes with work/school, and the choices of the video games themselves. Super Mario Bros. is better for a kid to play than Grand Theft Auto.

I disagree almost completely. No amount of time spent playing baseball will have the same terrible effects of a computer addiction. Active hobbies will make it easier to think during study time, and make the person more relaxed. Children should not be raised by computer games, and when you start making one game a bad game and the other a good game, but explain that it is based on their age, and it's good when they get older, they will make playing a stupid game into a goal, and will certainly encourage them to play it to their heart's delight, if not become addicted.

A child who plays super-mario all day will become just as fat, ignorant and socially awkward as one who plays GTA. Children will not jump on other people's heads, or rob cars due to video games. If at all possible, limit children playing games to multi-player games that they can amuse themselves to in a group, as this will create socialization, the key to breaking a computer game addiction. One of the first games I ever played was "twisted metal", and I never blew up any cars.

[White Israelite]

If you want my honest opinion, and I am not condoning or advising others to do the same, I grew up with video games since I was a kid. I played dune, doom, monkeys island, kings quest, quake, duke nukem, grand theft auto, etc.

I grew up with sim city, civilization, red alert, Warcraft, and a game called ultimate domain which focused on building settler communities in colonial America.

I still play games now, I like a lot of open world games, I mainly play games on the pc although I play a cowboy game on the Xbox called red dead redemption.

I also like retro gaming, still play super mario rpg legend of the seven stars for super nes, and I have shenmue and shenmue 2 for dream cast both which are very rare.

I think games can affect kids and their perception, but I think that is also poor parenting as well.

I don't think I'm as addicted to games as I used to be, since I have a family to take care of and I travel out of the country so much, I just don't have the time I used to.

[serbian army]

Only thing that kid or grown person can develop while playing stupid video games is obesity and retardation.
Young people these days don't have any social skills. Other day one 18-19 year old came into my house to help his father, whom I know personally, to move some of my appliances. He did not even say hello, my name is such and such...Money was not an issue as I paid them both but man these kids don't have any manners or social skills. I believe they hate people. When I was living in my home city I was good friend with at least 50 people and I knew hundreds more. Back then we had no computers....

[Ephraim Ben Noach]

I think some games, like modern warfare are good for a level headed and righteous person... They do help with hand and eye coordination. And can increase the rate of time it takes for your brain to send a message to the proper muscle...

[The Noachide]

If you want my honest opinion, and I am not condoning or advising others to do the same, I grew up with video games since I was a kid. I played dune, doom, monkeys island, kings quest, quake, duke nukem, grand theft auto, etc.

I grew up with sim city, civilization, red alert, Warcraft, and a game called ultimate domain which focused on building settler communities in colonial America.

I still play games now, I like a lot of open world games, I mainly play games on the pc although I play a cowboy game on the Xbox called red dead redemption.

I also like retro gaming, still play super mario rpg legend of the seven stars for super nes, and I have shenmue and shenmue 2 for dream cast both which are very rare.

I think games can affect kids and their perception, but I think that is also poor parenting as well.

I don't think I'm as addicted to games as I used to be, since I have a family to take care of and I travel out of the country so much, I just don't have the time I used to.

Cool stuff, the very mention of Shenmue is eerie. This series has to be one of the most depressing video game storyline in recent memory. The cut-scenes are cinematic and very well done. Ryo hazuki is stuck avenging his father's death and there is no telling if Part 3 will come to light and get to finally see Lan Di.

Dreamcast has many of the best video games ever made. I still play this platform.

[The Noachide]

Only thing that kid or grown person can develop while playing stupid video games is obesity and retardation.

......Only?

[The Noachide]

+1 on LKZ's points.

[Binyamin Yisrael]

I never had video games like Nintendo or some other game system. I only had computer games. This was before there was a mouse or Windows on the computer. The first ones I had were on DOS (Some people might be too young to know what that is.). I remember I liked Centipede and there was also a game called Alley Cat. My dad got an old computer from work and it when you would turn it on, the date would say January 1, 1980. We got it in 1990 and the date would change on its own but in 1991, that didn't work anymore and started with January 1, 1980. Maybe it was like the 10 year preview of Y2K. My dad brought home disks from work. So all those games were on those disks. There was also a math game called ALF and Tetris which we got from someone else when they gave us their old ribbon printer. Before we had our own computer, I remember playing some game where you shoot ducks at their house. They were the old large floppy kind where the film was actually exposed. Later on there was the smaller floppy disk that had metal protecting the film part. The only time I ever used video games of other sorts were at other people's house or the big machines like Pack Man. I remember my dentist had one in the waiting room.

Then when we got our first Windows computer and first computer with a mouse, we had Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune and educational games like Oregon Trail and Where in The World is Carmen San Diego?. I also liked encyclopedia CD-Roms and other CD-Roms. I never cared about games on Nintendo or games with a joy stick. I always knew computers were better.

[The Noachide]

The late 90s in PC gaming were at its peak. Unreal Tournament, Quake 3, System Shock 2 and many gems are hits. In fact I play UT regularly.
 
Console gaming has few advantages over PCs even though I prefer PCs such as optimization on console develpment and first party and third party exclusives. Like someone said earlier Red dead redemption is only on console. Often times exclusives end up rare and starts to fetch for $100+ online becoming a collectors item.

I do both platforms. Best of both worlds.

[Zelhar]

I concede that gaming might be a problem to some kids, it still doesn't mean it's bad for any and everyone. Parents must set boundaries and encourage their kids to do other activities.

[CorrieDeservedIt]

I plead guilty to being a hardcore GTA player.

[TruthSpreader]

Cool stuff, the very mention of Shenmue is eerie. This series has to be one of the most depressing video game storyline in recent memory. The cut-scenes are cinematic and very well done. Ryo hazuki is stuck avenging his father's death and there is no telling if Part 3 will come to light and get to finally see Lan Di.

Dreamcast has many of the best video games ever made. I still play this platform.

I love Shenmue and equally as much, the Dreamcast. It's a shame they never got to finish the series.

[Rubystars]

I plead guilty to being a hardcore GTA player.

You're also an adult.

[muman613]

I have waited to answer this thread. My thoughts should be self evident to all know know me.

I don't think video games are evil, I actually have worked for companies developing video games and tools to help game developers create new games (I worked on several educational games for JVC in the 90s). When I was a youngster back in the microcomputer revolution days (in the mid-late 80s) I used to be a game player like the rest, and I even resorted to piracy to obtain them (which caused me to become a cracker ). My pirate group was one of the best known back in those days (The Axe Man & Mr Xerox). http://hackers.applearchives.com/cracked.html

A few years ago I spent time playing a game called Nexuis (An open-source 3d First Person Shooter) which allowed to you play with other players via the network. I played this a lot but it became an obsession. I did notice it would make me more agitated about things. I gave up playing it and devoted the time to Torah study instead.

I think game playing is a waste of time. While it may be necessary to 'unwind' from time  to time, all people and especially Jews who want to observe the commandments, should not waste time. I am able to put in 2-3 hours a day studying Torah with the time I used to waste playing video games.

I would recommend as people 'grow up' they put down the joy-stick and pick up a Chumash, a Siddur, or any other holy work and start reading them...

[The Noachide]

That's interesting muman, what game companies have you worked for?
And did you work on the X-eye platform since you mentioned JVC?

To casual/non-gamers, you might want to try Exodus: Journey to the Promised Land on the Nes platform. You take Moses as the role character and go on biblical adventures as told in the Torah.
It is a puzzle adventure game made in 1990 that combines trivia with a Jewish history theme. 

[The Noachide]

I love Shenmue and equally as much, the Dreamcast. It's a shame they never got to finish the series.

I predict a fan-made one in the near future if Sega and Yu Suzuki don't complete the trilogy.
There was talk of HD remakes on the first 2 games releasing digitally and then Sega makes part 3 that all fans have been waiting for. 

[muman613]

That's interesting muman, what game companies have you worked for?
And did you work on the X-eye platform since you mentioned JVC?

To casual/non-gamers, you might want to try Exodus: Journey to the Promised Land on the Nes platform. You take Moses as the role character and go on biblical adventures as told in the Torah.
It is a puzzle adventure game made in 1990 that combines trivia with a Jewish history theme.

I worked for JVC's 'Kid-pc' division in the 90s. The Kids-pc was a doomed pc gaming platform for which I developed a set of libraries for developing games (graphics, sound, memory-management, Midi music, Fixed-point Math, mouse-joystick support, etc.). We developed several games including one called 'little red schoolhouse' and we also developed (with Disney) a 'Toy-Story' platform game.

I did not work on the X-eye and I never heard of it..

Here is a guy who worked with us back then, who lists his experience developing for the Kids-pc

http://www.oocities.org/~jameschao/Resume/Resume.html

[TruthSpreader]

I predict a fan-made one in the near future if Sega and Yu Suzuki don't complete the trilogy.
There was talk of HD remakes on the first 2 games releasing digitally and then Sega makes part 3 that all fans have been waiting for.

Really? When will they come out? I'm tired of waiting.