Shadsie
Sage of Tales
Something that may be of interest...
There's a new book out about video games and how, in moderation, they can have real-world benefits. I haven't read it, but would like to. There's a article about it here by its author:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-mcgonigal/video-games_b_823208.html
I'm sure that all of us "in the culture" have heard about Tetris helping to soothe victims of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and how brain-teasing games have been a help in sharpening the minds of old people. Heck, the new "get up and get active" bent of Wii has become so well-known, it was (positvely) parodied on an episode of "The Simpsons." This book is supposed to cover that kind of thing.
So, maybe I'll pick it up next time I'm in a bookstore.
However, don't go into the comments of that article if you want to keep your sanity. I'm a regular comment-jockey at HuffPo and it always makes me feel suicidal to the point I have to take a break from all the fighting an elitism for a while. I thought the Religion section (where I usually "hang") was bad. And it is bad - real bad. I had no idea that saying "video games are not evil" among a non-conservative crowd would have similar effects! You'll find pages of people whining "Read a book!" "Go out and live life!" I even got a troll on me when I, after defending the merits of having a little fun on my time off with Link or rolling Katamari whining at me to read a book instead. I replied that I've read lots of books and I *write* them. This got me a condescending "I'll bet you do... I'll bet you do..." ARGH. Why is it that some people think that one thing necessarily detracts from anothter? Geez. I may enjoy the fishing mini game in TP, but it doesn't keep me from going out and actually fishing. I enjoy the stories of games, but I read. And write.
Heck, the article is by a game designer right there who's written a book - probably more than all those people who whine "Read instead of game!" have done with their lives. *Laughs.*
There's a new book out about video games and how, in moderation, they can have real-world benefits. I haven't read it, but would like to. There's a article about it here by its author:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-mcgonigal/video-games_b_823208.html
I'm sure that all of us "in the culture" have heard about Tetris helping to soothe victims of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and how brain-teasing games have been a help in sharpening the minds of old people. Heck, the new "get up and get active" bent of Wii has become so well-known, it was (positvely) parodied on an episode of "The Simpsons." This book is supposed to cover that kind of thing.
So, maybe I'll pick it up next time I'm in a bookstore.
However, don't go into the comments of that article if you want to keep your sanity. I'm a regular comment-jockey at HuffPo and it always makes me feel suicidal to the point I have to take a break from all the fighting an elitism for a while. I thought the Religion section (where I usually "hang") was bad. And it is bad - real bad. I had no idea that saying "video games are not evil" among a non-conservative crowd would have similar effects! You'll find pages of people whining "Read a book!" "Go out and live life!" I even got a troll on me when I, after defending the merits of having a little fun on my time off with Link or rolling Katamari whining at me to read a book instead. I replied that I've read lots of books and I *write* them. This got me a condescending "I'll bet you do... I'll bet you do..." ARGH. Why is it that some people think that one thing necessarily detracts from anothter? Geez. I may enjoy the fishing mini game in TP, but it doesn't keep me from going out and actually fishing. I enjoy the stories of games, but I read. And write.
Heck, the article is by a game designer right there who's written a book - probably more than all those people who whine "Read instead of game!" have done with their lives. *Laughs.*