Gaming Demons

So I just bought a PS3 and have been 'thrashing' it out. By thrashing, I mean in the three weeks that I have had it I have spent approximately 8-10 days out of the 21 in about 4-6 hour chunks of time. Tops. Which I know that without other interests and commitments would be far more than that. But the point is that I tend to these other interests and commitments.

The thing is that I am living in a house with others who have not ever lived with a gamer. I have never really described myself as a gamer, but circumstances force this upon me. But reactions to my spending some time playing a variety of games and only just getting used to my first ever console have been just short of disdainful. Remember, if you can, the getting of a new toy and the novelty of the experience. The norm for those who have such a memory would concede that an acceptable thrashing period is probably 4-6 weeks before the novelty wears off and a diminished usage follows.

But why game? Here is a list of 'reasons' that I have pencilled.

1. First and foremost, it is fun.
2. Today, gaming isn't just gaming. It is arguably akin to watching a movie or reading a book in that a lot of them have plots and devices not dissimilar to the old and acceptable media. There are beginnings, middles and ends; the difference lies in the interactivity (though much to the derision of some of my folk, the way that I watch tv and movies is an interactive experience).
3. I have tried on previous occasions to get in on some GTA or GT action on other people's consoles but couldn't because I didn't start the game from scratch and go through the basic training. Now I can and it makes a lot more sense.
4. I have always played games of digital and 'analog' forms from cards and scrabble, sport (man, have I played a lot of sport in my time), arcade games such as Space Invaders and TMNT, Lode Runner on the 386 that I first got in the mid 80's, Pong on my mates Sinclair console, board games such as Risk and Monopoly… I could go on but I won't. The fact is, that have engaged on many, many levels on my own and with other people. 'Gaming' is just another one of those.
5. If you lose touch with the technology, it becomes harder to get back on board. I have never owned my own console and have essentially completely lost the ability to compete with my peers as the complexity and human interface devices have progressed without me. Thus, the more likely it is that I would not be able to interact with someone who has. Which leads me to my next couple of points.
6. The next generation will have full capacity with these forms of communication and I will be shut out. Which means that I will be an isolated dinosaur. The gap between myself and those who will be running the world will unnecessarily grow.
7. Previous generations go to dinner parties and discuss politics, movies and books. Mine discuss politics, movies, books, games, hardware and software and webcomics and blogs.
8. One of the reasons why I know how to put together systems ranging from AV, PC and WiFi networks is because I play with these things for fun as well as for work. All of these skills are necessary today and I get called upon regularly by people who have not kept touch with these things. "How did you know that you had to push that button for 3 seconds to get an alternate function from it?". Are you a person who has heard or asked this question before?
9. The paradigm of communication is changing. Games are at the forefront of this. Don't participate and you miss out on a language that is becoming more all pervasive.
10. Have an opinion on how much gaming is too much, or how much violence should be tolerated by your child before its brain turns to mush? Is it informed through experience, research or fear inducing articles on the Advertiser, or a combination of the three?
11. Need to buy a gift for a 5, 10, 15 25 year old? Wouldn't have a clue what to get, would you?

There's more to this, and I encourage adding to it and/or arguing over these points. Most people who don't get gaming will be deficient in more that one of the points I have made. Yes, I agree that most games are at their core juvenile with few games being anything more that shoot'emups and fantasy, but this is on the mend with more creativity and thought going into them. With turnovers like Assassin's Creed II and WoW, the old market is finding itself having to shift its ideology and infrastructure to be able to accommodate these changes. As this occurs, the potential for gaming to transform itself and the world around it will result in something that is more than a 'time wasting game'. And by Jove, I want to be able to develop an informed opinion on it and possibly shape it. And I'll have fun doing it.