Hey guys,

So I feel a little bad about kind of poo-pooing video games on the last podcast episode. Marsh asked innocently why we play video games, and there I go saying it's self-indulgent and useless and akin to mastubation (if you're wondering "wtf?", listen to the episode!).

My topic on the next podcast is going to be, well, anecdotes about games having a positive impact on our lives. I want to redeem myself by having more good and positive stuff to say about this hobby. I've got a few things to say myself on the topic already.

I don't know yet who's going to be with me on the next episode, and I don't know if I'm being pessimistic, but I'm unsure if we'll have enough to say to fill 20 minutes, the topic lending itself perhaps less than usual to discussion. So I thought it would be a good occasion to try and read listener comments on the podcast!

Do you have a story to share? Do you want it to be read on the podcast? Then post it in this thread, and that just may happen!

Thanks for participating!

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@carlosrox Speaking of ignored, I thought what I said was sort of related to what you and everyone else was talking about. You stirred me to post in any case..

I read your posts guys, I just didn't want to further derail the thread anymore. I felt argumentative earlier because I had a crappy day, but now I just want people to answer the question!

But since you and carlos are feeling ignored: I am watching you.

I didn't even know what thread I posted in when I posted.

Ok, gotta repay your watching, I'll try to find a game that had a positive impact on my life. ....Ocarina of Time. But not for the reasons you may think. Around the time before I played it I learned the fact the sense of smell clings most to long term memory. So while played OoT I kept a pink air freshener nearby (forget the name of the scent). On occasions that I come across this smell, which does happen from time to time, my head insta-saturates with the joy that is OoT due to association. FTW.

Specific Transformers remind me of the exact smell of my mall at the time I bought them.

I read your posts, too, but I didn't really feel like getting involved into a long, off-topic discussion. Usually, I do, but yesterday, I didn't.

Speaking of which, playing Sega Rally totally prepared me for driving in incredibly heavy snow. It feels exactly the same! One time, I was driving back from college with some friends, and we got caught in a horrible blizzard. They were like, "Get off the road!" And then I was all, "Don't worry! It's just like Sega Rally!"

I also assume that, whenever ultrafast hovercars get invented, I will immediately be an accomplished driver.

@carlosrox

Your post didn't personally affect me, so it didn't mean shit to me.

@Oldmanwinter I dunno, I honestly don't think my music would be anything close to what it is without video games. And I don't just mean all of the video game music I have listened to over the years, but I mean the sort of inspiration I get from the creativity of games in general. When I'm writing songs I often have some vague theme in my head, the kind of stuff you only see in video games, like "this song will have that feel when you've just scaled a huge mountain and then a bird comes down and offers you a ride up to the city in the clouds..."

Yep.

Actually, I think the reason I love game music so much isn't just that it is game music, but that it is music built to fit creative scenarios. There really are "you're just scaled a huge mountain and then a bird comes down and offers you a ride up to the city in the clouds" style songs in video games, and I don't find much of anything like it outside of video games.

@Anand Well, I pretty much only read recreationally and I think reading has way more positive benefits than video games. In part, because even reading my nerdy sci fi yada yada, it makes me think on deeper levels than any game ever does. Actually, maybe even especially because I'm reading nerdy sci fi, I honestly think sci fi writers think about people and the world and big questions more than say... contemporary realistic fiction writers do, but that's debatable.

On the other hand, as stated above, playing video games influences me creatively more, so... that's a big thing for me.

@Oldmanwinter

I hate reading books, 90% of them are fucking boring.

And like I mentioned in another thread...feels like I'm on IGN's message boards all over again...why the hell does that keep happening?

Now back on topic, I feel your topic on the next podcast is just your way of feeling bad for derailing Marshes topic. I will be honest, I really have enjoyed all the podcasts and they sound just as professional, probably even moreso than other podcasts I listen to and they definatly are waaaay more entertaining and keep me interested than the podcasts on IGN as of late.

I know for myself I play videogames to be entertained. I love the bright colors and the fantasy worlds that I get drawn into. I do suffer from depression from time to time, which started around my late 20's. I will say when I play videogames, esp. colorful ones like Mario type games, that helps me forget about my depression and more times than not will pull me out of it. And I am not talking about things like , Oh, I had a bad day type of depression, ect. When I first started experiencing depression, I wasn't in the mood to do anything. When it hits all I want to do is lay in bed or on the couch and sleep or just watch the same movies over and over, and this will go on for days on end.

At first, I didn't even know what was going on. Cause I would be this was for a few weeks, maybe up to a month and then snap out of it and start living life normal again. I have actually lost several jobs due to my depression, cause I honestly could not go to work for long stretches. I was playing videogames back when this first started happening, but of course when you are in a state of depression like I was and still can be, you do not want to do anything. I have found out though, when I feel it coming on now and I force myself to start gaming and really concentrate on that game, it helps me quite a bit. Moreso than the 8 or 9 different anti-depressants I have taken over the course of the years. I have also learned that just laying there and doing nothing makes the depression worse, so by forcing myself to get up and go to work or go for a walk that is better than laying down for days on end.

So, maybe while its just not actually the fact of videogames themselves making me feel better, more the fact that I am forcing my brain to work instead of being a sludge, that is what helps. Of course since videogaming is one of the few things I really enjoy in life, that is what helps me out along with moving my body and also listening to music, upbeat music, no depressing shit...that I can listen to while in a normal productive state. Not sure why I actually started going through depression, like I said, nothing happened in my life to cause it, just one day it was there, but it did build up slowly over a course of years and usually it hit me harder in the winter months. I did alot of research on it and by forcing myself to do things I enjoy, like playing videogames, by moving my body, eating food that is good for me, those are things I have found out helps the best.

If you want to bring that up on the podcast, thats fine with me, and if not, thats fine as well.

@Zero
I feel the exact same way about my art. I recollect vague feelings and themes from games and like to incorporate them into my heart. Even if you can't hear the music I draw my drawings to, they helped me create what I created. I can listen to Magmoor Caverns and draw a Lava-esque picture. You won't know I drew inspiration from that but it probably shows, and it helped me create the piece. I could not do this without the music of the game of trying to incorporate those feelings/memories into the work.

Same probably goes for artists of any kinds. What you said seems to be in line with what I said.

@Zero

I completely respect your opinion and find your music to be, at worst, very very good. I never meant to imply people can't find inspiration for art in games, you obviously have and you are exceptionally good at taking the essence of a moment in gaming, like you said in your post, and making compelling music out of it.

Hat's off for that and I never even attempted to insinuate that wasn't feasible. I was, initially, talking more about the neurological impact of reading on one's brain chemistry and the positive impacts it has over television... and I stand by everything I said and am more than willing to debate any aspect of it however the fundamentals of how reading impacts a variety of skills in a positive way vs TV has nothing to do with you fueling your artistic fire... so to speak... by videogames, music, moments or anything in between.

So again if I gave that impression I'm sorry because that was not my point in the least. Art can come from anywhere, gaming included...

@gamewizard65

So you've said... twice. I really have no argument to debate with you however if your insinuation is that I'm being antagonistic... which I'm assuming is what you are implying given comparing my posting with that of the worst that IGN had to offer, nothing I've posted in this thread is nearly as off base or antagonistic as your little bit about "finding books fucking boring". If you do, fine, I won't argue with your opinion however to make a blanket statement like that, which in and of itself is incredibly confrontational given the discourse in this thread, and then imply that I am somehow being the antagonizer is... frankly... ridiculous.

The conversation, if you care to actually read or partake in it, had nothing to do with the perceived entertainment value of books, rather the merits of them regarding long term learning and impact on ones brain in a positive or negative light. If you don't care for books as far as entertainment is concerned, by all means don't read them. The facts however are the facts and my argument from the outset had absolutely nothing to do with entertainment, rather how reading, which is an active activity for you brain positively impacts your brain in ways that watching television... which is strictly passive... does not.

If you care to debate that with me by all means. Or better yet we can conduct it in a PM so we don't further derail the thread. Backhanded insults however are weak at best;)

@Oldmanwinter
Where did he insult you at all? I skimmed his post to be honest but aside from the first two sentences I didn't see him mentioning you. I think he meant it might feel like IGN due to general arguing and that he personally finds books very boring. That's hardly an insult to you though.

@Zero
Yeah, but couldn't other media do the same? I agree that they DON'T, for the most part, but I'm not sure that it's an inherent strength of the medium of books, rather than just its maturity.

On the other hand, maybe it IS an inherent strength of the medium. But maybe other media have different cognitive benefits.

As per OP I don't have a specific game but games have been an influential part of my life. I'm mention two significant parts of my life:

-As a kid who had a C64 (colecovision, atari, nes also) I was really interested in those make your own app/game "code" included in the C64 mags. I knew all about hexadecimal color at a very young age. I was interested in how the game pixels got on the screen along with a fascination in film built the foundation to my future. Currently I'm a video engineer & IT tech at a university art's program-mainly managing technology and running workshops for the video production and journalism programs.

-When my wife and I first met 15 years ago we hit it off. After a few weeks I brought over a Playstation and since then Gamecube, Wii, DSs, DS Lites, 3DSs, PS2, PS3 and Xbox (1). Gaming whether local co-op, 1 player 1 voyeur sessions or online with family and friends brought us closer as a couple.

Just like Helium said, I am also one of the ones that had Dance Dance Revolution being a positive impact on my life. In fact, it was because of DDR that I was able to snap out of a weight-gaining cycle and get my butt back in shape. Being a swimmer, I used to weigh in at around 140 or so pounds, or less when I was younger. Then I began to play WoW and work late shifts at work jobs that I had (only time frame that I could get) and developed bad, bad eating habits and thus shot up to nearly 200 pounds about 2 or so years ago.

Let me tell ya, I cannot fathom or understand how people can tolerate being overweight, and that is NOT, NOT meant to be insulting. It wasn't so bad at first, but eventually when I wanted to play DDR again after not playing it for a while and trying to do Maniac/Heavy Mode (which I could do) and I couldn't even get through two songs without being short of breath and my legs hurting...it snapped me out of my weight-gaining habits. Now, it wasn't right away, but it made me commit to stopping eating late at night, getting out and exercising, and doing other things to help promote weight loss, and after about two weeks my late-night cravings were gone.

The weight began to come off little by little, I plateaued at multiple points for weeks or a month or two, but the progress was fantastic and the FEELING...the FEELING of losing that weight, of FEELING so much lighter...it was a huge drive to keep me going. Now I sit between 135-140 pounds, can fit back into my racing swim trunks, and I can 'pig out' every now and then without having to worry about gaining too much weight. If it wasn't for me wanting to play DDR so much and enjoying it so much, I don't think I would've ever lost all that weight and feel so much better about myself.

@Oldmanwinter I wasn't saying you were insinuating that, just kind of adding a benefit for games. And lately I'm more and more thinking that creative pursuits are like... my one main goal in life (outside of family pursuits) so, at least for my life, whatever can inspire me creatively ends up a bigger influence on where I feel my life is heading than the things that inspire me intellectually. But I do still like being inspired intellectually, and of course I think anything that gets your brain working is good for your creativity as well, at some point.

@Anand They could, but they really don't (at least not video games) and I'll probably be dead before they do so... not much I can do about that.

GelatinousEncore said:

Without video games (and music and friends and women) I'd kill myself, so...

Your friends will abandon you someday. Don't put your life on them. Unless you're like, in the ARMY or something..


Videogames will always be there for you, as well as a good woman, and we'll all be here for you as well.

Your "real life" friends though? En guarde.

@CB200
@heliumsky
I love you guy and gal. DDR for life!

Edited for gender accuracy

@gamewizard65 90% of books are boring. So are 90% of movies, music, video games, etc. That's why you seek out the best!

DDR broke a bone in my foot, so that's a negative.

@Renjaku

Fortunately, I haven't had any DDR injuries, though I did have a "Charlie Horse" one time at the arcade while I was playing it one time. Luckily, it was after the last song was done, but did that hurt like hell for a good 20 minutes. >< DDR does have a greater change to cause injuries like that, I will most certainly agree.

@anon_mastermind

Yep, indeed. And I'm going to be getting a replacement dance pad for the one I've been using that finally went after having it for over 6 years...high quality metal pad called a "Cobalt Flux". Getting another one so I can continue to enjoy my DDR games. :)

@CB200
Can you PM me the info on where to get a really good mat? Mine is also on the verge of going kaput.