# Why do so many people badmouth video games? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 14, 2013, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941 "2013-11-14T22:53:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/21 "2013-11-15T16:34:50Z")
I’m a gamer myself, and I can see a few issues that video games face that has definitely gotten better, but still have room for growth. The first one is largely a generational thing. Older people, or people who don’t play them, are unaware of how much videogames have progressed and still see them as either a young technology or as just plain immature. Even people my age, who grew up with them, but “grew up” and stopped playing them still think of them as kids games, largely because they WERE aimed at kids for a long time. The thing is, there’s a huge range of modern video games specifically aimed at mature audiences, whether they’re as benign as sports games, or they’re as violent as an R-rated movie. For those stuck thinking of the SNES days, where there was controversy over pixelated blood in Mortal Kombat, it’s probably hard to imagine the swath of mature games. Second, it’s still a relatively young form of art and entertainment, and it takes time to get mainstream acceptance. New forms of art, new genres, whatever, always take time to gain cultural acceptance. The only way for it to happen is to just give it time. A lot of people don’t realize just how much goes into them either. Some modern videogames have development budgets comparable to major blockbuster movies; for instance, Star Wars: The Old Republic reportedly cost around $200 Million to develop, and that doesn’t include marketting or building the infrastructure to support it. The thing is, video games offer a unique artistic and entertainment experience because they can provide the spectacle of a massive film, with the story complexity of a series of novels or TV series, all while being interactive to make the whole experience more immersive. I think the best comparison on getting more cultural acceptance is probably comic books, which were seen as a nerdy thing for a long time, but over the past dozen years or so, and attempts to get those ideas into other forms of media didn’t do too well. But now they’re highly successful films, Marvel’s cinematic universe has gross several Billion over the past five years, DC has the success of the Nolan Batman films and Man of Steel, along with the fairly successful Smallville and now Arrow. But videogames have yet to produce anything close to that level of success. However, we might see this trend start to change with the upcoming Assassin’s Creed and Warcraft films. They’re getting the sorts of budgets and attention, and they’re broad and accessible universes and mythology that ought to be able to help make videogames more appealling to a larger audience. Third, videogames are seen as a largely solo experience. Certainly as I was growing up, a lot of my gaming experience was either alone, or at most, shared with a brother or a friend. But over time, gaming has become more and more social. In my high school and college years, gaming parties became common, with 4-player games and such. These days, online play is a HUGE portion of the gaming industry, whether it’s online competitive play in sports, FPS, or RTS types of games, or the obvious social implications of MMOs. Games are very social these days, but those who aren’t doing it just see someone sitting in front of their TV or computer and think they’re not interacting with others. Sure, it’s not the same as face to face interaction, but I’d say it is still generally more social than many other electronic types of social interaction like facebook, texting, twitter, or whatever, since it typically requires real time interaction and cooperation or competition. Either way, I think it’s just a matter of time, I’m fairly certain within the next decade or so, we’ll be at the point where most people had videogames as an important part of their childhoods, and they’ll just be accepted almost naturally as a result. ---
**Author:** ![Cognoscant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Cognoscant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cognoscant)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/22 "2013-11-15T18:52:51Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > There’s always been this idea that the current generation’s entertainment is bad for them and/or substandard to the previous generation’s entertainment. It passes. Frankly, I don’t think the stigma against video games is nearly what it was ten or fifteen years ago, when politicians were seemingly desperate to prove that it would be the end of humanity. That made me think of something amusing I saw a while back. Some time ago I was at the American Museum of Classic Arcade Games in New Hampshire. There was a large poster depicting a US President extolling the value of video games, noting that video games promoted critical thinking, hand-eye co-ordination, and provided healthy fun for kids. The president in the poster was Ronald Reagan. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/23 "2013-11-15T19:00:30Z")
> [@Cognoscant](#): > > That made me think of something amusing I saw a while back. Some time ago I was at the American Museum of Classic Arcade Games in New Hampshire. There was a large poster depicting a US President extolling the value of video games, noting that video games promoted critical thinking, hand-eye co-ordination, and provided healthy fun for kids. > > The president in the poster was Ronald Reagan. The Reagan Administration also made a point of encouraging the arcade game industry to put “just say no to drugs!” messages in their games. You’ve seen those on older machines running in “attract” mode - was very common through the mid-nineties, long after Reagan left office. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/24 "2013-11-15T22:17:56Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Which is what pisses me off now when games don’t have an easy pause option or an easy save option. I don’t care if it’s “harder” to have to go to specific save places, I need to be able to save at any time. I have a busy life. I can’t sit through stupidly long cut scenes and not be able to pause, and I need to be able to save at a moment’s notice. > > Gaming companies should notice that their demographic is getting older as well as younger, and it’s us adults who have the discretionary income to buy their games. The PS4 is supposed to have a feature where you can stop playing at any point and it will pick up right where you left off. I think this is supposed to be different from save points, where you actually put information into permanent memory. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/25 "2013-11-15T22:33:25Z")
> [@Cognoscant](#): > > That made me think of something amusing I saw a while back. Some time ago I was at the American Museum of Classic Arcade Games in New Hampshire. There was a large poster depicting a US President extolling the value of video games, noting that video games promoted critical thinking, hand-eye co-ordination, and provided healthy fun for kids. > > The president in the poster was Ronald Reagan. And that is why he is the greatest President ever. ---
**Author:** ![fanganga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@fanganga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fanganga)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/26 "2013-11-15T23:07:55Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > The Reagan Administration also made a point of encouraging the arcade game industry to put “just say no to drugs!” messages in their games. You’ve seen those on older machines running in “attract” mode - was very common through the mid-nineties, long after Reagan left office. Now drugs are a mature recreational activity that people can respect, not like those darn video games. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/27 "2013-11-16T03:13:07Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > I can’t even fathom those of you who are saying you don’t know anyone who plays video games. Other than my grandparents and other people that age, I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t play at least some video games. And I don’t separate out games like Zuma’s Revenge, Angry Birds, Candy Crush, Plants vs Zombies, etc as “not really video games.” They are just as much a video game as anything is. The only reason people even try to categorize them as “not really video games” is because they have some stigma against games and don’t want to admit what they are doing. Or like me, think they’re more diversions than something with a serious story and narrative in it. > [@](#): > > Anyhow, gaming is a great hobby, and it can enrich your life as much as any healthy hobby can. Taken to an extreme, it is a bad thing, and people should be focused on leading a balanced healthy life. This I agree with completely. > [@](#): > > I guess, in general, what I’m saying, is that there isn’t a lot of hate or looking down on video games and people who play them. Now, if you’re sinking 8 hours a day, several days a week, into video games, then yeah, you deserve to be looked down on. I’d say the same thing about a person who watches tv or any other non-productive task for that long. I’d agree with this too, mostly. I know a couple of people who don’t like computer games (interestingly, nearly all female) because they’re convinced they’re all about mindless violence and car racing and (I suspect this is the real reason) and a reason for their boyfriend/partner/husband to be doing something for extended periods of time that doesn’t involve them. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/28 "2013-11-16T21:38:57Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Pshaw. Of course they do. “I play video games” is not remotely greeted with the same feelings as “I knit” or “I read” or “I make jewelry”. Video games is considered stupid and plebian and also teenager-y. Nope. You’re wrong. Something 98% of all people (ALL people, not just boys/men) play video games. And for those of us that grew up on games in the 80s (you included), we still play games. Are you the only one from your peer group that still games? Seriously? I have trouble believing that. Games are big business now. The people buying all those PS4s and Xbox Ones aren’t little kids. They’re adults with disposable incomes. The only people who think video games aren’t mainstream are the idiots who sit in their protective talk radio/Fox News bubble all day. And even most of them play Angry Birds on their phones. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/29 "2013-11-16T21:49:38Z")
I have no “hate” for video games. But I have a lot of ignorance. I’m 52. I remember the arcade game of the late 70s early 80s. I assume Grand Auto Race Ninja is a different kind of game, with some role playing, or something. I’m sure it’s fun. I wouldn’t know where to begin or why I would want to. If you’re not doing it, I don’t think you’d say to yourself, “you know what’s missing in my life? Video Games!” I don’t own the machine for the games, other than a computer. My wife and I did go through three or four weeks of Angry Birds a couple of years ago. Now, it’s Words with Friends. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/30 "2013-11-16T21:52:09Z")
Who badmouths video games in this day and age? Admittedly my perspective is a bit skewed because I work in technology consulting. I’m sure there’s plenty of people who don’t like them, but I don’t have a sense that it’s something that is viewed as particularly weird. Although I think it depends. Playing Madden Football with a bunch of a buddies tends to be more as “frat guy fun” while playing World of Warcraft tends to be viewed as a pastime of socially awkward nerds sitting in dark rooms for weeks at a time. Call of Duty seems to be marketed in a way that’s more “cool” than Halo. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/31 "2013-11-16T22:11:19Z")
> [@Earth001](#): > > I am 20 and I have been gaming for most of my free time You answered your own question. Video games are fine for occasional amusement. I play them too, but if they take up _most of your free time_ something is wrong, and, being so addictive, they do seem to take up most of the free time of many young men (in particular). As leisure activities go, they are also particularly unproductive. Generally speaking, you are not really learning anything (when you seem to be, in historically based games, for instance, it is mostly wrong), or developing useful skills (except some trivial ones of limited real-world usefulness), or even getting healthy exercise. They are mostly just time sinks. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/32 "2013-11-16T23:26:33Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Generally speaking, you are not really learning anything (when you seem to be, in historically based games, for instance, it is mostly wrong), or developing useful skills (except some trivial ones of limited real-world usefulness), or even getting healthy exercise. They are mostly just time sinks. You could say the same thing about reading a book. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/33 "2013-11-16T23:28:12Z")
It’s like how they used to badmouth rock 'n roll or the rap. If it’s popular with younger people it must be… SATAN ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/34 "2013-11-17T00:38:39Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > You could say the same thing about reading a book. Or surfing Straight Dope, for that matter. If you’re neglecting important things in favor of video games, it’s a problem. It’s a huge problem in many families with young children, because the husband is ignoring his family in favor of gaming. Oh, I realize that in the past, he probably would have just gone down the street to the bar, but in any case, if I was of reproductive age and wanted to have children, interest in video games would be an absolute deal-breaker for me. I’ve just heard far too many stories. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/35 "2013-11-17T11:25:03Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > If you’re neglecting important things in favor of video games, it’s a problem. It’s a huge problem in many families with young children, because the husband is ignoring his family in favor of gaming. Oh, I realize that in the past, he probably would have just gone down the street to the bar, but in any case, if I was of reproductive age and wanted to have children, interest in video games would be an absolute deal-breaker for me. I’ve just heard far too many stories. I’ve heard just as many, if not more, stories involving the girlfriend/wife neglecting the family to do pointless stuff on Facebook as I have stories of boyfriends/husbands neglecting the family to play marathon Call of Battlefield: Company of Honour sessions. Yet I don’t think many (any) people would say their significant other being on Facebook would be a deal-breaker. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/36 "2013-11-17T12:57:06Z")
It gets knocked because it’s the newest Media. The new kid on the block (admittedly not that new anymore) always gets bashed by the Old Guard. Worse still, TV knows that games and the Internet are what are taking their young (especially Male) viewers away so they have a Financial interest in running stories about how awful those things are. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/37 "2013-11-17T13:07:37Z")
Two centuries ago the same sort of people were complaining about those darned Romantics, their morbid literature and their absurd Berlioz music. Our generation will complain in the future about our grandchildren spending hours inside immersive virtual realities, and one day you will catch yourself thinking things like _“when I was a kid, I just needed ONE reality!”_ It’s the “get off my lawn” syndrome. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/38 "2013-11-17T13:27:11Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I’ve just heard far too many stories. Name one. Or are you just going to repeat how many stories you’ve heard over and over again? [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16244203&postcount=25](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16244203&postcount=25) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16784526&postcount=87](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16784526&postcount=87) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16760490&postcount=33](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16760490&postcount=33) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16603077&postcount=3](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16603077&postcount=3) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16323567&postcount=10](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16323567&postcount=10) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16327368&postcount=45](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16327368&postcount=45) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16303790&postcount=15](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16303790&postcount=15) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/39 "2013-11-17T14:14:25Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Name one. Or are you just going to repeat how many stories you’ve heard over and over again? > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16244203&postcount=25](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16244203&postcount=25) > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16784526&postcount=87](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16784526&postcount=87) > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16760490&postcount=33](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16760490&postcount=33) > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16603077&postcount=3](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16603077&postcount=3) > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16323567&postcount=10](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16323567&postcount=10) > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16327368&postcount=45](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16327368&postcount=45) > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16303790&postcount=15](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16303790&postcount=15) How much of the day and a bit did you spend compiling them? Or, even worse, did you already have them at hand? Still, it beats video gaming as a hobby. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941/40 "2013-11-17T14:30:22Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > if I was of reproductive age and wanted to have children, interest in video games would be an absolute deal-breaker for me. I’ve just heard far too many stories. These kinds of opinions are so ridiculously harmful and shortsighted that I would be aghast if I hadn’t heard them millions of times before in my life. Guess what? People can be gamers and still run a successful life, and choosing your mate based on whether or not they like to play video games is about as stupid as choosing someone because they read, watch tv, or go to movies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-badmouth-video-games/673941.md?page=3)