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

[Vault101]

now personally nothing makes me nerd rage faster than when some douchebag in his infinate wisdom thinks he's being helpful when he tells gamers they need to "get out and enjoy life"

based on nothing other than "they play games so therefore they all live in their mums basement and FOREVER ALONE"

anyway beside that...

what Im asking is at what point do you draw the line, and say "yeah...thats kinda sad" or really of somone is truly happy like what who are we to say otherwise?

AND

do you resemble that steryotype at all?

 

[Mr. Fancy Pants]

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

 

[MrStab]

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

 

[No One Jones]

We really can't say, its never our value judgement because we're judging someone else's actions in contrast to our own. I really must question the reason in assaulting a shut in who does nothing but play video games. When does one even see him if he's sedentary in some burrow?

 

[FalloutJack]

Geez, I play games in my spare time because they're fun. You think I give a damn about some uninformed noodnick? I also read books, write, walk, listen to music, see movies, go to things like comedy improv, hang out, and I don't even LIKE most of what's on television. People looking to stamp a stereotype are gonna have to find someone alot less active.

 

[Aris Khandr]

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

I'm with them on the whole 'bears' thing. And, really, the outdoors in general. Don't get me wrong, I love skiing when I can do it. And enjoy tennis once a month or so when it is warm. But outside of that, the outdoors exist because I don't want a car parked in my living room. I go outside to get to the car, and then again to go into where I am going. Repeat in reverse for going home. The outdoors: not all that special.

 

[Wapox]

Gaming is sad, when you ask youself wether it is sad or not.. If you think it might be sad.. then it's sad... if u think it's still cool... then it's not sad

 

[Mr. Fancy Pants]

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

I'm with them on the whole 'bears' thing. And, really, the outdoors in general. Don't get me wrong, I love skiing when I can do it. And enjoy tennis once a month or so when it is warm. But outside of that, the outdoors exist because I don't want a car parked in my living room. I go outside to get to the car, and then again to go into where I am going. Repeat in reverse for going home. The outdoors: not all that special.

That's fair enough, mate. Live your life however the hell you want.

 

[rsvp42]

Depends on the person, I guess. If you're gaming to avoid people or you're choosing a night alone playing Xbox instead of drinking with friends or whatever, then it's starting to get sad. I try to have a policy of always choosing something social over gaming alone at home. Even when I think it's going to be a lame shindig and everyone's going to be fake and egotistical, I go because it usually turns out better than a night alone.

It really comes down to what you want out of life and how much gaming interferes with that. Let's say you're a cartoonist and instead of drawing and coming up with new ideas, you just default to playing games, then there's a bit of a problem. Or if you want to get a date/get laid, but every night you go home and play alone instead of going out with friends to clubs or bars, then it's sad. Gaming is a great pastime, but when it gets in the way of having a fulfilling life and taking chances, it's just a parasite. It's something I'm trying to avoid. Even though I have little free time between work and other responsibilities, I need to cut back on how much I game during that time. I never expected real life to clash so much with the gaming lifestyle.

 

[Siifer]

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

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

It doesn't. Gaming is a hobby/leisure activity. Reading, watching movies and playing sports are hobbies/leisure activities. You can't say one is sad while the others aren't.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

It only gets sad if you let. Game all you want. It is your life, neigh sayers be damned.

 

[Talydia]

I say when you have a choice between staying and playing or going out with friends and you start regularly choosing the game over the friends. For me anyway, I try not to pass up socializing with friends just to stay home and play a game.

Edit: Though to be fair that's not really saying the gaming itself is sad, but more so the attitude of the player if that makes sense.

 

[Wintermoot]

the moment you start to look like the fat WOW guy from South Park
or the point that you buy adult diapers for playing WOW

 

[StBishop]

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.

 

[Wuggy]

When you plan your gaming around your life, it's fine. When you plan your life around gaming, it's sad. I've been on the both ends of the spectrum, especially when I was a hardcore raider in WoW.

 

[Joccaren]

Gaming can never be sad. It can merely be abused. E.G: Treating it as your life proper (Counting it as more important than your job and family) instead of the pastime and hobby it is.
Gaming is around to make people happy, not sad (Except maybe Pokemon. Jeez, everytime you think you've caught them all, another continent with 150 more shows up)

 

[Phishfood]

The point gaming becomes sad is when it starts having an impact. Its sad to stay up all night raiding then moan the next day at work because you are tired. Its beyond sad to let your child die because you were busy on farmville. Gambling is a good analogy - dropping some money in vegas as a one off, is fine. Dropping your entire life savings and losing the house is not.


Otherwise, its fine and people can take a long walk on a short cliff if they think otherwise. Personally I'm sick of being criticized for playing computer games by people who spend the same time watching TV. What makes TV better than computer games? its no more "real" unless you think there ARE streets where they all have affairs with each other, there are appartments in new york where the same 6 people hang out and go lick the liberty bell. The only difference between a game of counterstrike and a game of football is the ammount of physical activity.

Ok, rant over with.

TLDR version:
Playing games is fine so long as you aren't addicted.