4 ms·

Video games are fine, but as I tell my sons, there's a huge difference between learning how to play guitar and learning how to play Guitar Hero. Virtual worlds

Video games are fine, but as I tell my sons, there's a huge difference between learning how to play guitar and learning how to play Guitar Hero. Virtual worlds are fine to engage with, but those accomplishments are virtual and ephemeral, while real world skills remain with you.

jmckib 8y ago
I'm sure you're well-intentioned and want what's best for your kids, but I'm going to push back a bit. My ability to play video games in general has improved over the years, and for me it's a source of pleasure. It's not ephemeral because many of the games I play now have the same mechanics as the ones I played when I was a kid. People like listening to guitar, but there are also a lot of people who love watching others play videogames on sites like Twitch. Of course both playing videogames and playing guitar professionally aren't a realistic goal for most people.
- linkev117 8y ago
  I don't think the amount of utility for guitar is the same as for video games. I understand very few people get to be professional guitarists or gamers. However, after that there are rapidly decreasing returns for video games. Guitar can be a source of pleasure for people you meet. It's a far more interesting skill than playing video games decently well. Guitar challenges the brain more; its learning curve extends farther than any video game. Guitar opens up a world of creativity and improvisation, name me a video game that can provide something at that scale (I'm an avid gamer so I'm sure there are none). Plus, it can get you laid. I just don't buy that playing video games can provide much benefit. It seems like a meager reason to justify a questionable habit.
  - jmckib 8y ago
    Personally I would much rather watch someone play videogames than listen to someone play guitar, but that might be an unpopular opinion and I agree with you that actually writing music is more artistically creative than what you can do with the vast majority of videogames. We can probably agree the type of game matter. To me the skill that people display when expertly playing a real-time strategy game is really interesting and takes a certain kind of tactical/strategic genius to do well. It is basically speed chess with a lot more rules and space for creativity. You've definitely got a point that guitar probably is a better way to impress most of the ladies. I just want to make the additional point that video games are how a lot of us began our interest in computers that later turned into a fulfilling career. Many people first experienced a command line while installing DOS games. The modern equivalent is probably modding PC games, which can take a lot of technical literacy depending on the game.
percentcer 8y ago
I'm not really a fan of that guy at the party who pulls out a guitar, but I'm always down to play some Guitar Hero with other skilled rhythm gamers.
- spinach 8y ago
  Why? I love listening people play guitar live. Is it because he makes you feel bad that you wasted your time playing video games instead of learning the real guitar?
  - skybrian 8y ago
    Why waste time with guitar when you can learn accordion like me? :-) Unless you go pro, these are all leisure activities. Some are older than others and some get more traditional respect, but why is that important? I choose to learn an instrument, but I don't see an inherent reason why learning an instrument is better or worse than video games.
  - viraptor 8y ago
    I'll try: it depends on the environment. With some people, grabbing a guitar and singing is an interactive time. With others, it's playing a game together. Sometimes they like only one side of that. It's not about feeling bad or jealous. It's that playing a guitar in a room full of uninterested gamers would be as awkward as playing guitar hero in a party where nobody enjoys casual games.
  - Macross8299 8y ago
    I play guitar and I'm similarly not a fan (most of the time). Someone drunkenly fumbling through wonderwall or whatever in an attempt to impress is not interesting.
anonytrary 8y ago
I used to play MMORPGs in high school. You learn a lot about business, focus, and prioritization with video games. Sure, these are ephemeral worlds, but you are still learning and things you learn stick with you.
- chillwaves 8y ago
  And what if you spent your life learning in other venues, could not still learn these things?
  - anonytrary 8y ago
    Sure, there's more than one way to skin a cat. Either way, you'll know how to skin a cat.

jmckib 8y ago

I'm sure you're well-intentioned and want what's best for your kids, but I'm going to push back a bit. My ability to play video games in general has improved over the years, and for me it's a source of pleasure. It's not ephemeral because many of the games I play now have the same mechanics as the ones I played when I was a kid. People like listening to guitar, but there are also a lot of people who love watching others play videogames on sites like Twitch. Of course both playing videogames and playing guitar professionally aren't a realistic goal for most people.

linkev117 8y ago
I don't think the amount of utility for guitar is the same as for video games. I understand very few people get to be professional guitarists or gamers. However, after that there are rapidly decreasing returns for video games. Guitar can be a source of pleasure for people you meet. It's a far more interesting skill than playing video games decently well. Guitar challenges the brain more; its learning curve extends farther than any video game. Guitar opens up a world of creativity and improvisation, name me a video game that can provide something at that scale (I'm an avid gamer so I'm sure there are none). Plus, it can get you laid. I just don't buy that playing video games can provide much benefit. It seems like a meager reason to justify a questionable habit.
- jmckib 8y ago
  Personally I would much rather watch someone play videogames than listen to someone play guitar, but that might be an unpopular opinion and I agree with you that actually writing music is more artistically creative than what you can do with the vast majority of videogames. We can probably agree the type of game matter. To me the skill that people display when expertly playing a real-time strategy game is really interesting and takes a certain kind of tactical/strategic genius to do well. It is basically speed chess with a lot more rules and space for creativity. You've definitely got a point that guitar probably is a better way to impress most of the ladies. I just want to make the additional point that video games are how a lot of us began our interest in computers that later turned into a fulfilling career. Many people first experienced a command line while installing DOS games. The modern equivalent is probably modding PC games, which can take a lot of technical literacy depending on the game.

percentcer 8y ago

I'm not really a fan of that guy at the party who pulls out a guitar, but I'm always down to play some Guitar Hero with other skilled rhythm gamers.

spinach 8y ago
Why? I love listening people play guitar live. Is it because he makes you feel bad that you wasted your time playing video games instead of learning the real guitar?
- skybrian 8y ago
  Why waste time with guitar when you can learn accordion like me? :-) Unless you go pro, these are all leisure activities. Some are older than others and some get more traditional respect, but why is that important? I choose to learn an instrument, but I don't see an inherent reason why learning an instrument is better or worse than video games.
- viraptor 8y ago
  I'll try: it depends on the environment. With some people, grabbing a guitar and singing is an interactive time. With others, it's playing a game together. Sometimes they like only one side of that. It's not about feeling bad or jealous. It's that playing a guitar in a room full of uninterested gamers would be as awkward as playing guitar hero in a party where nobody enjoys casual games.
- Macross8299 8y ago
  I play guitar and I'm similarly not a fan (most of the time). Someone drunkenly fumbling through wonderwall or whatever in an attempt to impress is not interesting.

anonytrary 8y ago

I used to play MMORPGs in high school. You learn a lot about business, focus, and prioritization with video games. Sure, these are ephemeral worlds, but you are still learning and things you learn stick with you.

chillwaves 8y ago
And what if you spent your life learning in other venues, could not still learn these things?
- anonytrary 8y ago
  Sure, there's more than one way to skin a cat. Either way, you'll know how to skin a cat.