h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I used to worry that I was playing too many PC games.

I remember when Doom first came out I'd start playing after work at about 6:30pm and the next time I'd look up it's three in morning, not good on a week night. But great fun. Doom used to make me jump when a flaming skull popped out and I was caught ducking and weaving several times by my wife, who thought it very funny.

As the games graphics progressed I'd look forward to the next mega game to come out, DoomII, Hexan, Quake, etc. Rush out and by it, or fume coz my PC wasn't up to spec. All my PC upgrades have been games driven after all.

Now I have kids (as not all of my time was spent fragging bad guys ), and I worry a little that they play too many PC (and now console) games themselves. But luckily they have the good sense to vary what they play, be it the playstation, a guitar, kicking a footy about or playing board games.

It boils down to this. We need escapism as well as entertainment as well as exercise. In some ways they are all as important as each other.

Let the player decide.

I apreciate what you say about escaping and moderation. I fear though that our world is forgeting how to interact with each other on a personal basis and how to deal with reality.
don't get me wrong I love to play vids as much as the next guy but even having a tourny with all your friends in the living room you don't spend nearly the time interacting and learning about your fellow mans as you do when playing a bord game.
Even here I am stating an opinion but am I really going to get to Know the people that i am relating to?
No a large part of what I will learn about you will be created by my own way of thinking as I cannot read your body language hear your tone of voice or see what you look like or carry yourself.

I appreciate that I can still meet new people this way, and it does have value, but we are slowly losing grip on interpersonal reality.

what does this have to do with gaming?

Gaming on whatever computer medium you choose is the a gateway into becoming lost in Cyberspace.

Sully

Doh! See in the time it took to write this I am now late for work, and I didn't realise it.