Video Games Are Precious

Photics · #1 09-11-2006, 08:50 PM

Today is a day for retrospection. Five years ago, life in America had changed. The war on terror had taken center stage. The Fall of 2001 was a dark time. After watching the remains of the World Trade Center smolder for almost a month, I was feeling glum. The effects of 9/11 could be seen everywhere. We were told to go about life as normal. Yet, how could that be? What was normal?

There was a reprieve. There was joy to be found - Video Games.

The quarter following 9/11 was a great time for gamers. Mythic Entertainment launched Dark Age of Camelot. This game was more than just a dramatic improvement over EverQuest. DAoC was a community. It was a place for people to gather, to share ideas and to have fun. Similarly, Bill Gates unleashed his XBOX in Times Square. This brought much needed jubilation to New Yorkers and the rest of the world. Playing Halo with friends was a great way to bring life back to normal.

That is why video games are precious to me. It is important in life to have a good amount of fun. In a time when it was too easy to focus on the negative, the Internet and video games brought some much needed fun and entertainment. Looking back, I realize the importance of video games. They're more than just a toys. They're part of our culture. They are part of what makes life normal.

#2 09-12-2006, 06:26 AM

I can't really say "precious". It's more like... Video games offer an opportunity to spend some good time with my friends who are not sitting on the same continent (or country or even city). I can play Stronghold with a guy in Texas and a girl in Malaysia, which I consider to be more interesting than doing something similar with people from my direct environment.

It's not really "precious", but it certainly holds a certain importance.

Photics · #3 09-12-2006, 06:54 PM

Well, think about this...

In order to determine how precious something is, it needs a value. Since Video Games are a form of entertainment, this value can vary from person to person. I've figured out a simple way to quantify this value.

If someone offered you $5000, but you had to stop playing video games for one full year, would you do it? We're not just talking XBOX here. We're talking ALL video games. That means no rounds of Dance Dance Revolution in the arcades, that means no flash games at popcap.com, that means no cell-phone based diversions and that means no World of Warcraft with your online buddies.

How high or low is that number for you?