Is gaming really a good idea?

Student Lounge College Life
21

<p>There is a more complex equation than "video games = anti social, not playing video games = social"</p>

<p>If you get addicted to video games, it can be as unhealthy as being addicted to anything else (drugs, alcohol, partying, etc). But it is a great way to relax if you can control yourself.</p>

<p>I am a pretty big gamer (I have a gaming PC that I spent about 1000 dollars on) and I play video games almost every day. I play about 20 hours of video games a week. The key is 1. work efficiently when you do school work 2. be able to stop playing when you need to get something done 3. play games that are fun/time effective, not crappy games that take hours like civ 4.</p>

<p>And no, video games do not affect your social life/grades if you manage things well. Freshman year was pretty bad for me socially because I played video games about 40 hours a week (still had a 4.0 GPA though). Now, I play less video games to have a social life, but I still play a lot.</p>

22

<p>
[quote]
With a game system you also have to bring along a TV though...

[/quote]
</p>

<p>What's wrong with a TV? My dorm room became the hangout for all of my friends since I was the only one with a TV. Watching 24 nowadays isn't nearly as fun since I'm sitting there alone without anyone to root for Jack and Chloe along with me.</p>

23

<p>I play World of Warcraft. I don't think its bad because if you have control over yourself, you can stop playing and do something else.</p>

<p>Gaming has had no negative effect on me. I do not smoke/drink, so unlike most of my peers, my free time is spent on the computer or in my mini "studio" playing my guitar. Instead of getting drunk, I prefer getting lost in music or raiding a dungeon.</p>

<p>Well, I gotta go do my powerpoint presentation on Spain now... Peace.</p>

24

<p>BTW I agree with lollybo. I did well in HS, and I am pretty sure I have a good shot at getting into my top schools (UVA and UW-Seattle for business).</p>

25

<p>yeah - i want to bring up another question. I'm debating whether to bring my xbox 360 to college, too. and one of my reasons not to is space: is there, in a typical dorm room, enough extra space and power plugs to have an xbox and a reasonably sized tv?</p>

26

<p>It really depends on your dorm. My freshman year I had a huge double and a 13" TV that looked like a joke on the top of my dresser. My sophomore year I nabbed a different TV from home (27") and it was a pretty tight fit into my tiny double.</p>

<p>You can fit pretty much any sized TV you want in there, but it's a good idea to figure out how important a big TV is to you. Also, if your roommate isn't a big TV/gaming person, it would probably be a better idea to bring a smaller one.</p>

<p>And, worst case scenario, you only bring the 360 and hook it up to the TV in the common room.</p>

27

<p>yeah - i wouldn't be playing tons - but i would probably hate playing on a small small TV</p>

28

<p>I always brought a TV, especially since they were so cheap at Walmart. Like $30 for 20-inches.</p>

<p>I'm not a big gamer, though. The only games I regularly play are GTA and Maple Story...but I did buy a new $1,500 laptop specifically so I could play Maple Story as my old laptop couldn't handle the game.</p>

<p>So maybe I do have a bit of a gaming problem after all.</p>

29

<p>I never really got addicted to video games. I basically quit video games (except a bit of Guitar Hero couple times a month at my friends' houses) when I began HS. Now I am starting to play a couple of video games, namely World of Warcraft and GH (still at friends' houses lol I only got a PC). I can play WoW for 2-3 hours on a "free" day and not play at all on a busy day. I guess its all up to how you feel about gaming.</p>

30

<p>What the heck have they done with Maple Story that it requires a $1500 laptop? I remember playing that game on my two year old laptop that was only $1000 when I had gotten it.</p>

<p>(Also, have they done anything for it in the past four years to make it not just a giant grindfest.)</p>

31

<p>My old laptop was pretty old, a Dell Inspirion 6000 from 2005. I would have bought a new one regardless, it took twenty minutes just to start up - and consistently prompted cursing and urges to toss it out the window. </p>

<p>I don't think they've done anything new, everything is pretty much the same. Kill-steals and all.</p>

32

<p>I still have my dell 600 and I run WoW on it at mid setting for 28-30 fps lol. I do have an ATI X300 on it, but still.</p>

<p>I have stepped on it, dropped it countless times, dropped a shelf on it (lol), and the monitor broke off like 3 months ago. I hooked it up to an LCD monitor in the basement now lol.</p>

<p>Right now I am using a desktop I built for about $1100. Cheap power ftw (that price includes a 24 inch monitor :P)</p>

33

<p>Hope you don't mind me bumping this thread. I've been wondering about this also. I was thinking about quitting WoW when I start college, but all my friends play WoW so I'd feel kind of left out.</p>

34

<p>
[quote]
There is a more complex equation than "video games = anti social, not playing video games = social"</p>

<p>If you get addicted to video games, it can be as unhealthy as being addicted to anything else (drugs, alcohol, partying, etc). But it is a great way to relax if you can control yourself.</p>

<p>I am a pretty big gamer (I have a gaming PC that I spent about 1000 dollars on) and I play video games almost every day. I play about 20 hours of video games a week. The key is 1. work efficiently when you do school work 2. be able to stop playing when you need to get something done 3. play games that are fun/time effective, not crappy games that take hours like civ 4.</p>

<p>And no, video games do not affect your social life/grades if you manage things well. Freshman year was pretty bad for me socially because I played video games about 40 hours a week (still had a 4.0 GPA though). Now, I play less video games to have a social life, but I still play a lot.

[/quote]

Sums up my sentiment, glad to see another refreshing opinion like this away from the common bias that video games = social failure.</p>

<p>I'm in high school, and freshman year I probably did play like games 5 hours daily (and middle school), but I got better this year and play like 2~3 hours daily now. Doesn't affect anything; I'm decently athletic, fit, hang out with friends all the time, exercise, etc...basically normal + big gamer.</p>

<p>The common image of gaming being for antisocial nerds and obese people is probably outdated at best.</p>

<p>Addicted to anything is probably fatal. </p>

<p>
[quote]
Hope you don't mind me bumping this thread. I've been wondering about this also. I was thinking about quitting WoW when I start college, but all my friends play WoW so I'd feel kind of left out.

[/quote]

WoW is a pretty tough game not to get addicted to (if you're good at games and etc, that is), but if you can control it then..</p>

35

<p>Is there anyone here who was into WoW for years, got up to level 70 or more, and then decided to quit WoW completely?</p>

<p>If so, what convinced you to give up what everyone describes as an incredibly satisfying (aka addicting) gaming experience?</p>

36

<p>Gaming can be fun, but taking gaming seriously isn't worth it. You spend hours and hours on something and you don't have a tangible accomplishment. On top of that you can't really talk about it with people who don't game because they won't get it or won't care.</p>

37

<p>the only game u need is TETRIS</p>

<p>play it wheeverr u go</p>

38

<p>
[quote]
Hope you don't mind me bumping this thread. I've been wondering about this also. I was thinking about quitting WoW when I start college, but all my friends play WoW so I'd feel kind of left out.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I know of a few people who got way too much into WoW, and had to drop out because of it. As long as yoru can control yourself, and manage your time, you should do it, but just be aware of the consequences.</p>

39

<p>The tendency toward video game addiction is self-correcting. People who have it won't reproduce or will reproduce less and be eliminated from the gene pool.</p>

<p>You can't fool with Mother Nature. Leave the things of childhood behind or your genes die. You also will not get laid.</p>

40

<p>BigG, best</a> of craigslist : Girl seeking WoW player - w4m</p>

<p>Humanity has destroyed natural selection. :(</p>