The plight of the (nearly) 40-year-old gamer.
So I got a Nintendo DS for Christmas from Jimmy. It is a little slice of heaven. I went out and bought some new games for it – enough to keep me busy for awhile and they are terrific. It all just works well and is a blast to use. HOWEVER...
It brought me to a funny place. I feel insecure about being this old (37) and playing games like a 14-year-old. not wanting to feel guilt because it makes me have to crap, I made efforts to parse the feeling. With a little backtracking I realized it happened shortly after several people asked me a question.
"Do you do anything but play games?" Geez. I hope that is already clear, but here we go.
Three points, all of which put me at risk of sounding a little defensive:
1.) Some learn numbers. Some know people well. My job in life is to learn tools. I do it on many, many fronts, with gaming being the least accepted of the bunch. At the moment I am playing the DS and the Wii (two incredibly innovative tools), learning to sew on a machine AND by hand, learning how to construct and present sushi, learning to handle a culinary knife, teaching myself to be a better illustrator, organizing my home, learning Movable Type and carrying a full time job as a graphic designer. In the past I have mastered OSX, A/V systems, cleaning tools, graphic design hand tools, woodworking tools (Ugh.), my treo and the PS2.
There is a lot to pack into life. If I could not sleep and still feel good I wouldn't get a wink. I imagine a world of every day learning something and taking naps between. All at your own pace, all in your own interest. Some people travel, some work – I learn new tools and languages with my husband.
2.) Video games are efficient. They are a direct line to stress relief for me. I work hard and my brain breaks every day. Rather than get all jiggy, I hit electronic rabid rabbits with plungers.
3.) I like playing games.
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4 comments:
of all your game consoles, which do you prefer?
what is your opinion on gun ownership? - a
No Agenda: I am very much in favor of gun control and think guns should be harder to find than a Wii. Right now they are not and that is a problem.
But learning how to use a gun is the same as any other tool, so on that level I would be interested in seeing how it works/learning the parts, etc. I've heard from others that shooting a gun is thrilling, but I will likely keep myself from experiencing that. (Pandora's Box, too much internal anger, etc.)
Any gun I've ever used has been electronic or paintball. I have some issue with guns and violence in games, but I think there is enough separation from reality to make them eqivilent to gun violence in movies. THAT SAID, I don't ever want to see people cut up in small pieces serial-killer style in games OR movies. That is what leads to seriously disturbing thoughts and continued violence. Copycats are real.
@anonymous: Right now it is Wii and DS, but I still love the PS2 and have recently been looking towards a 360 down the line. Of course, if the PS3 can get it's fucking act together, maybe that would be the choice.
I just learned that the motion sensing feature on the PS3 is attractive, but it only goes in sideways and up/down. The Wii has full range motion and more. I like that because it give more natural movement.
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