Video Games: A Lecture.

I figured that today, since I am sitting here doing nothing most of the night, that I would tackle hardcore issues in the world today, in hopes of discovering fresh, new ideas to help the public with said issues.

Today, I choose Video Games.

Many people, usually girls (Girl, you know it's true), are in the business of bashing video games, seeing them as useless, time-wasting garbage (ad lib).
What people don't realize is that video games have qualities similar to that of books. For instance:

1. Promotes creativity.

2. Enhances Dexterity (4 out of 5 physician studies showed that video game playing enhanced finger and arm dexterity almost 60% better than "Cranking one off")

3. Promotes good long-term memory retention, as most players attach classic video games to fun past memories. Like word association, if you will.

4. Similar to books, video games give you the escapism of going to other worlds, times, and places. They let you live other characters lives, and have control over their development, enhancement, and in some games, even their health and career.

It's not just a physical act of sitting on your ass and not doing anything that is enjoyable. That's called sleeping, and if you just want to be immobile, that's a better choice. Most people who mock video games are those who have never even tried to play one. Let's look at a few classics:

CASTLEVANIA



Beginning with "Castlevania" back in...oh...what was it, like 1988 I think...
These games were simplistic. You are a vampire hunter, sworn to hunt down and kill Dracula. Easy enough? Sure, until you fight zombies, skeletons, ghosts, and undeadites all over Transylvania. There are roughly 20 games that follow the Castlevania game plotline, each one similar, but slightly different then the others. They have become cult classics.


MEGAMAN






Megaman has spawned many sequels (most notably Megaman 3 among the Smallwood family), from the first all the way to Megaman 8, and then restarting with Megaman X, and all the way continuing consecutively to Megaman X5. These games feature robots gone bad, and Megaman must destroy them, then use the weapons he's taken from them to use as a Special against the other robots. It's quickly addictive.

...and let's not forget, the wonderful classic...

RPGs (Role-Playing Games)

Zelda

The Final Fantasies













Chrono Trigger

...and many others.

RPGs are usually the backbone of hardcore gamers. Almost everything popular has been made into an RPG, including "Super Mario RPG"...which is also a great game.
RPGs let players build a character up from scratch, gaining them experience, new powers and skills, purchasing weapons, and getting together with other players to accomplish the games quests and goals (Teamwork...another perk).

The popular RPG currently would undoubtedly be World of Warcraft, which has over 7 million players currently enrolled online.

We end today with a idea. The idea that many people should consider video games as a hobby, much like any other. But not just that. They deserve to be put on as high a pedestal as any other hobby.

Why are fishing, golfing, reading books, and listening to music all acceptable hobbies, yet video games get the stigma?

I know what my wife would say..."Video games take up too much time."

Well...that's somewhat true...to those of us who need to learn to manage time better. But then again, I know people who can spend an entire day off work reading a book for 8+ hours, and they're never looked down upon for it.

It's worth a thought.

But right now...I gotta grind my warrior to 70.