You talk like you've never seriously have played a game. Its a great feeling when you are really in the game, in the zone. You are in your flow and your entire world consists of the game, there is no mouse, there is no keyboard; there is just you being immersed in the virtual world. You forget about pain, hunger, sleep and problems/responsibilities in your personnel life. You are in your comfort zone in a place that you find predictable, fair and you are constantly on the point between boredom (this game is too easy) and anxiety (this game is too hard). A perfect balance of challenge and you know you can always get just a little better at it, even though the skill in the game itself has absolutely no meaning in the real world.

I've played Starcraft II for a long time, its a true-skill RTS game (you wont get advantage for playing or winning more) that has a good matching system- you always play somebody that is close to your skill to keep the games interesting. I became pretty addicted and even my social networks got flooded with 'friends' from the game. So always when I got on-line there was a reason to play. And it felt good just to have something I was really good at, I ended up in the masters league which is about the top 2% of all active players. But at some point it became too serious, the people I played didnt play for their fun any more and I started to doubt if I did.

The point I want to make is that today with computers and internet there is a new opportunity for young people to immerse themselves in a virtual world. In this world there are no boundaries, endless destruction and easy access to games and being anonymous. Sure there are always people that dont do anything and will waste their time on anything; be it drinking hanging or watching television. But with the new technology wasting your time has gotten to the next level and has gotten easier.

This doesnt mean all games are bad though, but when we look at them we see they are designed in a way to attract people and keep them immersed, not particularly because the games want to deliver a good experience to an individual player, but rather because the game wants a strong community around itself that will keep players playing. You cant deny that games are designed in such a way because it is what makes them successful. When it comes to addiction and games, you cant say its the same with books or movies; I have never heard of somebody being addicted to a book.

At 9/7/11 03:38 PM, Archawn wrote: Why not expose children to all the possible options and allow them to ultimately choose the best path for them, instead of showing them only one radical side of the spectrum and making them fear all views different from theirs?

I'm very confused by this paragraph. It reads to me as "games shouldn't force one point of view on the children using fear, but should instead show children all points of view," but that way of reading it doesn't fit in with the rest of your post.

Also, I can't agree with your first paragraph. I take video games seriously, and did the same as a child. When I was young, I cared a bunch for my Pokémon and my RPG characters, and my virtual property is still as valuable as ever to me. If my Pokémon started to die because I ate meat or something, that would have fucked me up in the head a little bit.

At 9/7/11 06:07 PM, Doomsday-One wrote:

At 9/7/11 03:38 PM, Archawn wrote: Why not expose children to all the possible options and allow them to ultimately choose the best path for them, instead of showing them only one radical side of the spectrum and making them fear all views different from theirs?

I'm very confused by this paragraph. It reads to me as "games shouldn't force one point of view on the children using fear, but should instead show children all points of view," but that way of reading it doesn't fit in with the rest of your post.

That responsibility doesn't fall on games at all. That is the job of the parents, who should expose their children to everything out there. You misunderstood me :)

Also, I can't agree with your first paragraph. I take video games seriously, and did the same as a child. When I was young, I cared a bunch for my Pokémon and my RPG characters, and my virtual property is still as valuable as ever to me. If my Pokémon started to die because I ate meat or something, that would have fucked me up in the head a little bit.

Looks like I was a far less vulnerable child than most, then. Don't get me wrong, I love me some vidjuhgaemz. I get attached to the characters, to the plot, etc. but I don't ever take it so seriously that I would become legitimately scared in real life when confronting a situation that reminds me of an event in one of the games that I have played.

PS Sorry for the jumbled thoughts typing quickly just got out of class, waiting for my ride home

This is just another classic tale of the side that thinks video games' traumatic and addictive qualities are the only qualities video games have to offer children. What about all the positive aspects of learning the language of the game and critical thinking and problem solving skills, as well as multi-tasking and prioritizing quickly (starcraft 2 h yeah)? And reading skills of course too (that's if they don't skip all the game text). I'm not even going to list the many more positive qualities of video games here because I know deep down you know them.

But back to the original argument, I kind of agree in regards to video games wasting peoples' time when they would otherwise be out job hunting with their friends they are instead head hunting with their clan. I do however believe that the INTERNET is to blame here. Single player and locally networked games back in the day did NOT possess the same addictive qualities as internet-based play did. It wasn't THAT often that we could assemble all our neighborhood friends for super smash bros on the n64 in the same household. And even linked play with gameboy pokemon blue/red or super mario kart SNES, we STILL built forts and read books, and played with action figures and legos. I remember always taking breaks from yoshi's island and megaman X2 to run outside and be social with friends IRL.

Also in regards to television, TV shows like Dragonball Z on toonami only came on at around 6pm or whatever. There was no downloading and streaming videos online, so it forced you to structure your daily schedule and life around the available entertainment. Nowadays the internet gives you the tricky freedom of just doing it 'whenever you feel like it'. And I think the 'whenever you feel like it' mentality has slowly trickled into the important things in peoples' lives such as actively working to find a job.

I think its survival of the fittest really. There's always gonna be shit to distract you, be it in the form of video games, world politics/economy/catastrophes, other friends, kids, etc. Those that want to persevere will and those that dont well they wont. I dont think everyone's kids should be punished for it.

Finally my birth year page!

Well there is one other thing to consider. We're winning.

Guess what guys. No matter what kind of fear mongering fox does not matter what tactics they try and use to convince the massses that video games are evil... they're losing. Video games are moe popular today then they ever have been. And even if some fox news report (I use teh term loosely) manages to convince a few of the more impressionable parents. It won't matter. They will be exposed to video games. Becuase if the kid goes to school. He'll have friends who play. And let's be honest with ourselves here. If our friends say something rocks and you hear the same thing from a lot of your friends you'll try it.

So let fox news rant and rave. It doesn't matter anymore.

Besides their just the news version of trolls anyway :)

At 9/9/11 05:47 PM, Splyth wrote: And let's be honest with ourselves here. If our friends say something rocks and you hear the same thing from a lot of your friends you'll try it.

That's why schools implement D.A.R.E. programs, sir.

At 9/10/11 04:27 AM, Starogre wrote:

At 9/9/11 05:47 PM, Splyth wrote: And let's be honest with ourselves here. If our friends say something rocks and you hear the same thing from a lot of your friends you'll try it.

That's why schools implement D.A.R.E. programs, sir.

My schools DARE program was a joke. Besides I'm speaking of peer pressure. Which is neither good nor bad. Though it can be used for either

just wondering, how relevant is my sig?

At 9/10/11 01:01 PM, Splyth wrote:

At 9/10/11 04:27 AM, Starogre wrote:

At 9/9/11 05:47 PM, Splyth wrote: And let's be honest with ourselves here. If our friends say something rocks and you hear the same thing from a lot of your friends you'll try it.

That's why schools implement D.A.R.E. programs, sir.

My schools DARE program was a joke. Besides I'm speaking of peer pressure. Which is neither good nor bad. Though it can be used for either

Yeah I know :P DARE didn't save anyone in my suburban, richly overpopulated, town near the water.

At 9/11/11 12:06 PM, Starogre wrote: Yeah I know :P DARE didn't save anyone in my suburban, richly overpopulated, town near the water.

In my town, half the things teens figured out how to do were learned for the first time during the DARE "dont do this" presentations

At 9/11/11 11:25 AM, turtleco wrote: just wondering, how relevant is my sig?

Not relevant at all except to the handful of people who were posting in the reg lounge when that little sig conversation thing happened.

At 9/11/11 05:39 PM, Archawn wrote:

At 9/11/11 11:25 AM, turtleco wrote: just wondering, how relevant is my sig?

Not relevant at all except to the handful of people who were posting in the reg lounge when that little sig conversation thing happened.

cloud sig is still in though

(i change mine every few months, wonder if anyone kept a record of them all)

At 9/11/11 11:48 PM, Glaiel-Gamer wrote:

At 9/11/11 05:39 PM, Archawn wrote:

At 9/11/11 11:25 AM, turtleco wrote: just wondering, how relevant is my sig?

Not relevant at all except to the handful of people who were posting in the reg lounge when that little sig conversation thing happened.

cloud sig is still in though

(i change mine every few months, wonder if anyone kept a record of them all)

I remember what i believe to be your first one, two years ago and that's about it.

EVERYONE LOVES CLOUD SIGS

Just spent the past hour researching into some really old internet Flash drama. I find it really interesting for some reason - a bit of detective work here and there keeps the brain on its toes. Plus, it's amusing to see how similar some things were back then, and then how different other things were - the limited number of people who could animate meant that those who did were gods amongst men (well, teens), and their words could command armies; which is interesting to see in a 15-year-old who lacks better judgement.
Also it's refreshing to see names you recognise pop up, as you think to yourself "wow, they've hardly changed in 6 years."

I know it's not a topic for everyone, but has anyone else done some "history of the Flash community" research in their time, or am I the only one that sad?

At 9/12/11 12:00 PM, Doomsday-One wrote: I know it's not a topic for everyone, but has anyone else done some "history of the Flash community" research in their time, or am I the only one that sad?

About once every six months or so, when I happen to be up late at night feeling nostalgic.

At 9/12/11 12:00 PM, Doomsday-One wrote:

I know it's not a topic for everyone, but has anyone else done some "history of the Flash community" research in their time, or am I the only one that sad?

I have like one time. It's kind of embarrassing, almost like watching yourself on a home video of random family reunions and school plays etc and hearing yourself make stupid jokes and hearing you say stupid things that you wouldn't have said today.

At 9/12/11 11:00 PM, Starogre wrote:

At 9/12/11 12:00 PM, Doomsday-One wrote:

I know it's not a topic for everyone, but has anyone else done some "history of the Flash community" research in their time, or am I the only one that sad?

I have like one time. It's kind of embarrassing, almost like watching yourself on a home video of random family reunions and school plays etc and hearing yourself make stupid jokes and hearing you say stupid things that you wouldn't have said today.

Yeah I remember feeling like an idiot when someone recorded one of my family get together. That and my voice sounds really monotone. Maybe that's the mike or maybe it's just me and I never noticed :0

At 9/12/11 12:00 PM, Doomsday-One wrote: I know it's not a topic for everyone, but has anyone else done some "history of the Flash community" research in their time, or am I the only one that sad?

LOL that's a part of my childhood that i'd rather keep locked away in a deep deep dark corner of my brain

in retrospect though, discovering these forums at age 11-12 was a fairly interesting way of growing up. normally kids develop their personality and learn about social behaviour from hanging out with friends or something. I didn't talk much in school, but here on NG I must've reached 5000 posts before the age of 13. still can't decide if it's a terrible way to grow up as a child, or if it's a faster path to maturity since you're talking with older guys and there's the whole art/programming/business theme to it too.

At 9/13/11 04:22 AM, Toast wrote: or if it's a faster path to maturity

ha newgrounds and maturity, lol

cock joke

At 9/13/11 05:30 PM, Glaiel-Gamer wrote:

At 9/13/11 04:22 AM, Toast wrote: or if it's a faster path to maturity

ha newgrounds and maturity, lol

cock joke

your cock is a joke

Happy belated 9/11 to everyone!

At 9/13/11 06:02 PM, fwe wrote:

At 9/13/11 05:30 PM, Glaiel-Gamer wrote: cock joke

your cock is a joke

It may be because it's 1:50am over here, but I found that really funny.

At 9/13/11 05:30 PM, Glaiel-Gamer wrote:

At 9/13/11 04:22 AM, Toast wrote: or if it's a faster path to maturity

ha newgrounds and maturity, lol

cock joke

learning about dicks is some form of maturity process when you're 11

At 9/14/11 01:07 AM, Naruto46346753839262 wrote: http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/57 9137

do u guiz lyke my new flash...?

I liked the part with naruto

At 9/14/11 08:15 PM, turtleco wrote:

At 9/14/11 01:07 AM, Naruto46346753839262 wrote: http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/57 9137

do u guiz lyke my new flash...?

I liked the part with naruto

I prefer naruto tributes that don't put naruto in the face of danger like this

Curious about AI? I just stumbled upon this free online course to be provided by Stanford.

http://www.ai-class.com/

It says they are to be providing the same teaching and same level of testing as if you had signed up for the class in Stanford, all free of charge.

It sounds pretty awesome.

At 9/16/11 08:36 AM, 4urentertainment wrote: Curious about AI? I just stumbled upon this free online course to be provided by Stanford.

http://www.ai-class.com/

It says they are to be providing the same teaching and same level of testing as if you had signed up for the class in Stanford, all free of charge.

It sounds pretty awesome.

A few of my friends and I are already enrolled in it. It looks pretty cool.

I'm definately interested. Thanks for the heads up