The gaming thing, at which point does it become "sad"?

[Spud of Doom]

As others have said, when it replaces things you want more, but are harder.

For example:
Playing games all night rather than studying = sad.
Drinking at the clubs with mates rather than staying home with your loving girlfriend, even though your relationship is on the rocks due to you never being home = sad.
Reading books until 5 am when you have work at 9 = sad.
Playing football rather than taking your kid brother to the movies like you promised you would = sad.

Plenty of things are sad, when you let them interfere. But I think the reason people rag on gaming specifically is because those people see no inherent value to gaming. But to them, reading might make you smart, drinking might be seen as fun, playing football can be seen as healthy, studying can be seen as diciplined. But you can turn most of these things the other way and make them sad too.

Studying all night and not having any down time = sad.
Staying home with your girlfriend even though you're drifting apart from your friends because you never go out = sad.
Working all day only to exhaust yourself and taking 12 months to get around to reading the book you got last Christmas because you work too hard = sad.
Taking your brother wherever the fuck he wants rather than doing things for yourself and not getting any exercise due to not making time = a little less sad unless your brother is an absolute knob shine and abuses your love, I can't really fault someone for looking out for their family, but still, it might be considered sad.

TL;DR Any thing is sad when it starts invading the other aspects of your life. It's all about balance.

This is pretty much the way I see it. It's a hobby, like any other. Of course it takes up some of your limited time, but it's the enjoyment you get out of that time, and what you take away from those experiences that makes the difference. If a guy spends 6 hours a day gaming, but still manages to support a happy family with wife and kids, has plenty of friends and is successful at work, then 6 hours is fine. But if someone spends 6 hours a day gaming causing them to lose all standing with the people who care(d) about them, and is struggling to live day-to-day, then there is a problem.

 

[Vault101]

I do agree that it can be sad, and yes it does piss me off how peoples attitudes change when gaming is involved.

Few examples, I was supposed to meet my mate in the pub on Saturday for a few drinks, he rocked up nearly an hour and a half late with no apology and merely stating that he had an "important" match to play on navy fail.

Another of my mates was playing Halo Reach on live, his mum just popped her head in the door to ask whether we wanted a cup o' tea, he flipped and just properly screamed "f*ck off, I've just been f*cking killed because you put me off!". I left soon after that.

It's when gaming reaches those levels that it becomes sad, why take it so seriously? It's like the fools who brag about kill/death ratios, they mean nothing at the end of the day. It all just boils down to a geekier version of "my dads bigger than your dad"

dont know how old he is but is your freind also unemplyed? or not doing anything just out of curiosity? seems like he has a few issues at least...

anyway yeah, as much as I love games if My son (if I had a son..) ever talked to me like that Id take to his xbox with a hammer to make my point clear

Thats the sad part, he is employed full time and hes 24, so he's a year older than me physically, but at least 15 years younger mentally. He only ever turns into a prick when the 360 is turned on.

oh ok then.....I guess mabye the 360 is where he unleashes his inner prick

I mean if he was going nowhere and was pretty much a man child then I would have been annoyed as he would be a bad example for other gamers

but its not my place to judge or anyone elses

 

[YouBecame]

When you turn down other aspect of your life to play games. EG suppose your mates were going out clubbing and you turn it down to finish your minecraft tower or similar.

 

[x EvilErmine x]

When you put more effort into games than everything else in life - then it starts to get sad.

I believe this is yours.

Spoiler

 

[x EvilErmine x]

Edit, double post fail. move along now people, there's nothing to see here.

 

[Vault101]

When you turn down other aspect of your life to play games. EG suppose your mates were going out clubbing and you turn it down to finish your minecraft tower or similar.

clubbing? really? thats like the golden standard of spending your time? ok I get what you mean but clubbing isnt exactally everyones favorite thing....

in fact Id find a night with a good movie or game more fun than clubbing

clubbing is just...ehhh well I see the apeal but god its not worth it

especially thease days with them cracking down on drinking and violence, if it gets to extreme they may start brethalising people outside (so you cant get pissed beforehand) the venue and the price of drinks in clubs is redidlous

sorry derailed there, yeah I see where your coming from

 

[neolithic]

When people i know sell their WoW accounts for upwards of 2K and don't make back the money they paid on subscription fees

these people have been playing WoW for 11 years?

your math doesn't add up.

 

[loremazd]

When people i know sell their WoW accounts for upwards of 2K and don't make back the money they paid on subscription fees

12*15=180.

That is the most people could pay for wow in a year.

180*6=1080

That is the most someone could have payed for WoW.

That, also, you pay the same amount if you play on weekends that you do playing 8 hours a day.

Then again, I always have a chuckle at the folks who claim that WoW players are shut ins. Because of WoW I made the connections I needed to do a cross america roadtrip and never had to stay in a hotel.

 

[loremazd]

When you turn down other aspect of your life to play games. EG suppose your mates were going out clubbing and you turn it down to finish your minecraft tower or similar.

I would say this is the best measure. If you do this consistantly then you should stop.

In other words, Video games are a great substitute for TV, if you would only be watching tv otherwise, play games without worrying about it. Just make sure it's as easy to walk away from as some old syndicated show.

 

[PatrickXD]

I stand by my general rule that if it harms no one but yourself, in any way, then I don't care.
Who are others to comment on what i prefer to do, or vice versa?

 

[Ranorak]

When people spend more time playing games than they spend outside.

Could you define outside?

I'm NOT(edit) trying to be clever or sarcastic here.
But do you mean out door activities in general? Like going to a friends house for a beer? the movies?
Or do you literally mean outside, out in the open?

If you mean the first one, totally agree!
Second one...not so much.
There is very little to do outside. I've passed the stage where I play tag with my friends, and the stage where I hang around near stores sitting on the back support of a park bench.

 

[YouBecame]

When you turn down other aspect of your life to play games. EG suppose your mates were going out clubbing and you turn it down to finish your minecraft tower or similar.

clubbing? really? thats like the golden standard of spending your time? ok I get what you mean but clubbing isnt exactally everyones favorite thing....

in fact Id find a night with a good movie or game more fun than clubbing

clubbing is just...ehhh well I see the apeal but god its not worth it

especially thease days with them cracking down on drinking and violence, if it gets to extreme they may start brethalising people outside (so you cant get pissed beforehand) the venue and the price of drinks in clubs is redidlous

sorry derailed there, yeah I see where your coming from

I used clubbing as a typical archetype of sociability. Your movie night would do just as well, as would say bowling, playing some sport you loved or visiting your missus.

Glad you see my point, I guess perhaps clubbing wasn't the best example to give.

 

[hooksashands]

Never. Never ever.

I'm going to be the grandpa who sits there playing Nintendo with his grandkids, which by that point will probably have become some VR chip they put inside your brain.

"Grampy, can you help me beat this boss?"
"Yes. Mindlink me, young one. Ill show you how it's done!"

 

[ThatLankyBastard]

I've hatched 1457 Eevee's (and counting) trying to get a shiny one as a gift for my friend...

...I don't think there's a point where I can say "That's just sad" because I AM the point where most people say :"That's just sad"...

 

[Bags159]

It gets sad when you let society dictate how you enjoy spend your time. No sooner, no later.

I don't yell at people for obsessing over sports so why should others yell at me for what I do in my spare time?

"Sad" is a point of view.

/Argument in my opinion. I try to never think of anyone or anything as "sad", as what may seem perfectly normal to me (e.g. reading normal [not sexual] fanfiction) may seem "sad" to them.

I am liking you already.

 

[BrotherSurplice]

"Sad" is a point of view.

/Argument in my opinion. I try to never think of anyone or anything as "sad", as what may seem perfectly normal to me (e.g. reading normal [not sexual] fanfiction) may seem "sad" to them.

 

[Inkidu]

I think it becomes sad when you spend more time with it than talking with other human beings, when you're forty and living with your parents. Video games should be a part of life, not a life. They should enrich the human experience, not provide a means of escapism from everything in the world. A little is healthy, of course.

 

[Bags159]

I think it becomes sad when you spend more time with it than talking with other human beings, when you're forty and living with your parents. Video games should be a part of life, not a life. They should enrich the human experience, not provide a means of escapism from everything in the world. A little is healthy, of course.

What happens to this when I talk to human beings while playing? Obviously anything becomes "sad" if it's preventing you from being a functioning adult; why do just video games fall into this category?

 

[Inkidu]

I think it becomes sad when you spend more time with it than talking with other human beings, when you're forty and living with your parents. Video games should be a part of life, not a life. They should enrich the human experience, not provide a means of escapism from everything in the world. A little is healthy, of course.

What happens to this when I talk to human beings while playing? Obviously anything becomes "sad" if it's preventing you from being a functioning adult; why do just video games fall into this category?

As long as you remember that (much like the internet) they are real human people with feelings and problems and they shouldn't be marginalized as someone you just teabagged sure. That goes to the enriching the human experience.

Obviously, there are a lot of things that fall into that category, but our thread starter wants to know at what point would gaming become sad. When he wants to know when lumber jacking or drug use becomes sad, I'm sure he'll ask.

 

[Sronpop]

I draw the line at being asked to go somewhere with friends. The moment I choose games over friends is the minute I start losing the game. They are entertainment yes, but entertainment should never get in the way of having a life and socializing, 95% of the time friends are more fun anyway, unless of course its a new Mass Effect game they are trying to pull me away from, then they can fuck right off.

I watched yes man, and I have been trying to say yes to every opportunity to go out and have fun, and its been working out great for me, I no longer have the time or money to spend gaming like I used to, but I am much better off and have been having a blast.

I urge you all to do the same.