Category Archives: Non Gamers

June 8, 2014 · 9:31 am

Shocking Video Game Nightmare

I stumbled outside one morning, nearly tumbled down the stairs, and saw something unexpected. Everyone in the world, like your grandma, your neighbour and astronauts in space, played video games. They played on the go, at home, and while they ate. There was no more work; work became play.

At first, I thought I was still dreaming. After all, it felt like cement blocks weighed down my eye lids with 100 pounds of pressure, and this was a fantastical world. Then, I smelled the pungent aroma of coffee, it woke up my nostrils, and I downed a cup of it.

I rubbed my blood-shot eyes as my brain processed a different world. Imagine, I wonder if you can, no more “noobs,” no taunts, no banned or censored games and no violence.

Developers and gamers hold hands as they sing in the street. Piracy and DRM are a thing of the past. Everything smells like yellow roses in full bloom on a blue sky Sunday afternoon.

But wait! Scratch this rosy surface and a foul stench now pervades the air.

A billboard sized screen turns on behind me and a big brother-like tyrant speaks commands to his slaves. I look closer to see the tyrant is Doctor Wallace Breen from Half Life 2, and he’s forcing everyone to play video games. I always thought it would be good if more people tried video games, but freedom is something to cherish. Forcing people to have a hobby is wrong.

Get me out! This is a nightmare. I can handle all the people who bash video games. I can handle it if some people don’t play video games. There is no place like home. There is no place like home. Flaws and all.

2 Comments

Filed under Non Gamers

Tagged as , , , ,

February 23, 2014 · 12:33 pm

Why Play Single Player Video Games?

single player video gamesPlaying video games by yourself may sound anti-social. Maybe you think I’m a crazy cat person for even suggesting such an idea. Well, think again.

Here are five reasons why you might want to play games by yourself.

No Anonymous Teenagers

1. You prefer to go out with friends and play your games alone. When you play by yourself, you can side step those angry Xbox Live gamers. I mean, who wants to hear a nine-year old scream like a banshee into a microphone? Well, not me. I don’t know about you.

The Party (of One) Never Ends

2. You can keep playing a single player game even if PSN or Xbox Live crash. There’s no need to sit around and twiddle thumbs. You can also play if you’re friends aren’t online, of if their internet is down. And there are plenty of excellent single player games to keep you busy.

No Friendly Uproar

3. You might be able to quit a single player game without causing an upset. However, if you leave an online multiplayer match early, you’ll let down your team. I guess your team would give you another shot, but first they’d stab you in the back. You don’t always get to choose your team mates.

A Story Just for Me

4. I can get lost in the forests of a story when I play by myself. My friends, sitting on the couch, might die of boredom if they had to watch me move like a snail through a game’s nooks and crannies. My friends might want to jump into the action and skim the story.

The Allure of Shiny Things

5. Sometimes you just want to sit back, relax and unwind with a good game after a hard day. Then you can finish pointless tasks in the game that might bore friends. You can, for instance, get all the trophies or achievements by yourself. Now, I don’t mean those trophies where you have to kill one million bad guys or reach a certain rank online. Who has time for those things?

Of course, there are innumerable great reasons to play with others. There will be memorable moments to share with friends, you might love to compete against others and, most of all, you love to beat them.

But you’ve got to admit that playing games alone is sometimes fun. I know you do it. We all do it, and none of us are crazy cat people.

4 Comments

Filed under Non Gamers

Tagged as , , ,

January 12, 2014 · 3:40 pm

3 Bad Reasons not to Play Video Games

Reasons to play video gamesSome people snub their noses at video games. They should instead play them with a warm heart and open mind. They might find a new hobby. Or, at least, they’d understand this hobby and why others love it.

But foolish views about games are still out there. These views are like mental obstacles that block people from seeing and having great fun. If only people could smash through these obstacles, they’d get hours of joy from games.

So I thought of three reasons why people might avoid games.

1. “Games are too nerdy and only weird people play them.”

Well, of course, gaming could seem weird. Let’s say you seal yourself off from the world in a mine, and you’re wearing a tin foil hat on your head while you play. That’s weird. But I’m sure you wouldn’t do that. Would you?

But playing games and treating them like other hobbies is fine. Balance between video games and life is essential, and many people understand that. Don’t generalize about games or the people who play them.

2. “Shooting and violence turn me off. Also, I’m just not very good at shooting video games.”

Bloodbath is not synonymous with video game. Try a relaxing game like Endless Ocean. Go for a swim with a dolphin. Watch another person’s life unfold in The Sims. Check out the beautiful music and art in Journey. The many genre choices are amazing.

You don’t even have to be good at games to enjoy them. There are many “point and click” adventure games where you mostly tap a mouse. In these games, you can walk around and click to experience a story, hide from zombies and more. These aren’t “twitch” shooters where you drown in your own blood the second you start an online match.

And if you don’t know how to click a mouse, you’ll learn a new skill. Maybe you could go even further and learn keyboard skills from Mario Teaches Typing, if they even make that anymore. Ok, forget the Mario Teaches Typing. I’m sure remaining copies of that game are in a pit by now.

But be bold and try a video game.

3. “I’m too busy.”

Oh, you’re really busy? Then you probably need significant time to relax. I’m sure you’ve watched the same TV show and movie countless times. Why not try something different? Play a game like the Walking Dead that’s feels like a choose your own adventure book/ comic book/ TV show.

I know you will like video games. You already love the scenes and music from the movies. Guess what! Video games can have movie-like scenes and music. On top of that, you get to interact with the story and make choices.

Get out and experience games so you can understand them. And once you understand, I’m sure you’ll find they have good reason to exist. Even better, they’re a lot of fun to play.

***

What other bad reasons do people use to avoid playing video games? I might want to do another post on this topic. Thanks.

14 Comments

Filed under Non Gamers

Tagged as ,