5 ms·

Playing cards. With no devices and screens. Multi-player. Lots of fun. If it must be computer, then I go for good old Microsoft games - sweekend puzzle, motorb

by zkmon 2y ago

Playing cards. With no devices and screens. Multi-player. Lots of fun. If it must be computer, then I go for good old Microsoft games - sweekend puzzle, motorbike madness or midtown madness (I have a Win7 PC with no internet). I also enjoy driving around with Forza and enjoying the scenery of the country side. I can't even dare to look at the title imagery of these new games on xbox while scrolling through list of games on app store. It's gory, weirdness and insanity being portrayed as high quality. I guess, humanity in the West craved for some excitement in their lives, due to post-war peace time being devoid of any survival struggle. And the media - movies, music, internet - kept on dumping loads of it. Even the music, which is supposed to flow with soft, pleasant and melodious tunes and beats, has turned into a cacophony of loud shouting and hysteric expressions and acts of the artists. Similar to how a military band is designed to dispense alert and agility, western music appear to have evolved to dispense fear and anxiety which was missing in their daily lives. Not only that. Lack of such frantic craziness is seen as boring (I never heard of this word boring in my childhood). Slow life in general is being viewed as socially unacceptable. We are frogs in a boiling pot. You don't have to join the mad crowd running around ferociously. Just sit back, power on your old computer, pull out the internet cable, enjoy the slow, old games.

9029 2y ago
balatro
WA 2y ago
Ah come on. While you have a point, it’s been bread and games, public executions, and sad classical music in D minor for hundreds of years.
- hansworst 2y ago
  Hundreds? The bread and games thing is literally a quote from the Roman Empire, and I’m sure they didn’t invent it themselves either.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - WA 2y ago
    Yes but "hundreds" is the selector that applies for all three of my examples, whereas "thousands" merely applies to two ;)
    - hansworst 2y ago
      Pretty sure the romans had public executions too
jader201 2y ago
You’re referring to a lot of mainstream games, but it’s not hard to find relaxing (cozy) games. Also, many of Nintendo’s first party titles still have the same charm as their old school titles. I’m not a fan of a lot of the gory, hyper, crazy games you’re referring to, either, but there are no shortage of games that stick to the traditional charm, and I can always find something to enjoy. I’m playing through Unicorn Overlords right now, and while I wouldn’t consider it “cozy”, it’s none of the adjectives you use, and reminds me a lot of Ogre Battle on SNES, or Final Fantasy Tactics on PS1. Having said that, I’m also a huge fan of breaking out a deck of cards or board game and enjoying a quiet game with family/friends. Heck, I’ll even spend a couple days playing through a solo game of 1862. [1] [1] https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/66837 https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/66837
- safety1st 2y ago
  The Reuters article might be conflating some game design philosophies (relaxed, unrushed, non-competitive, no penalty for failure) with some game themes (farming, building, social relationships). Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley - yeah for sure these are some of the original and most iconic "cozy games" out there. But personally my favorite game in that genre is Graveyard Keeper, mechanics feel reminiscent of Stardew Valley, but when you're not burying bodies you're out looking for booze to keep a talking skull inebriated. And frankly the coziest game experience I have these days is with a title that no one ever would have associated with that term a few years ago: World of Warcraft. Nostalgia probably has something to do with it but they've now added a solo player mode (Delves) which is relaxed, unrushed, non-competitive etc. You can die five or six times before you fail, and penalties are light, but frankly, they're not very hard. If you have a spare half hour you can just Delves'n'chill by yourself and come out with a gear upgrade or two. So, I think it is not the theme, not even the mechanics but a set of game design principles that makes a game cozy. What were not cozy were the competitive FPSes and fighting games I played when I was younger, where we were all screaming at each other - that stuff can be fun but these days my emotional energy is directed elsewhere and I game to recharge.
  - Capricorn2481 2y ago
mvdtnz 2y ago
> I can't even dare to look at the title imagery of these new games on xbox while scrolling through list of games on app store. It's gory, weirdness and insanity being portrayed as high quality. What an absolutely stupid generalisation. Play what you want but don't be ignorant. I actually love a good gory or "insane" game but the last 5 played games on my Steam list are Factorio, Overcooked 2, Planet Coaster 2, Pico Park 2 and F1 2023. It's absolutely fine if you don't like video games but to class every mainstream video game as "gory, weirdness and insanity" is ignorant.
satellite2 2y ago
I had a dinner with a friend which is a doctor and one which is a dentist. They famously consume movies/series that perfectly fit your description. They told me after a full day being kind and empathetic while also spending a lot of time standing, you just want to see the world burn. Very enlighting, especially since most of our society works in services
- antonchekhov 2y ago
  "Frasier", Season 5 Episode 12: Niles: [walks in] Hello, Dad. I believe we switched videotapes on accident. Martin: Believe me, I noticed. Niles: Yes, there you go. [hands over video] At first I was dismayed. I popped in the tape, and there was Charles Bronson blowing away street trash, but I actually got into it. It was quite suspenseful. Martin: Yeah, well, that's the way Duke and I felt about "My Dinner With Andre." Talk about suspense! [fake, dramatic anticipation] Will they order dessert? Will they leave a good tip? [walks to chair and sits]
- augzodia 2y ago
  I have two therapist friends who like to watch horror movies because they say it’s a good outlet to externalize their stress and anxiety
pier25 2y ago
I agree but you're exaggerating. Millions if not billions are playing cozy "boring" games like Candy Crush.
- riehwvfbk 2y ago
  And that's a good thing? Sure, these games ease anxiety. So do opiates. Every minute spent playing addictive drivel like Candy Crush is a minute spent not exercising, learning, or bonding with fellow humans.
  - maccard 2y ago
    Most animals have down time. Spending it on candy crush is no worse than spending it reading agony aunt magazines or napping.
    - riehwvfbk 2y ago
      I think we'll eventually realize that this line of thought is the same as tobacco company apologetics. Napping isn't A/B tested for maximum addictiveness.
      - II2II 2y ago
        One of the things I enjoy about many (albeit, not all) cozy games is the ability to step into them, step out of the game five minutes later, then pick them up several days later. Sure, some developers are going to do A/B testing to monetize every last second of game play. That said, I doubt that many of those games would fit into a realistic definition of cozy games simply because most of them exploit the player's emotional state.
        riehwvfbk 2y ago
        And let me guess, you can quit any time you decide? Try not to play for 30 days and report back with your findings. I think you are underestimating the amount of time you spend on this filler activity.
thih9 2y ago
> music, which is supposed to flow with soft, pleasant and melodious tunes and beats… This is very subjective. And as you earlier say, e.g. military band music is supposed to do the opposite. > …has turned into a cacophony of loud shouting and hysteric expressions and acts of the artists. Chill music is actually very popular these days, especially on streaming media and youtube but it’s also accessible via traditional media.
- jamiek88 2y ago
  Yeah Lofi is huge!
- xeonmc 2y ago
  He must find Beethoven scandalous.
socalgal2 2y ago
Nintendo has the Animal Crossing series which are certainly relaxing (cozy) games and it's latest one is multiplayer. I don't know if Pikman counts. Feels a little stressful to me. But of course there's several 3rd party games, the obvious one being Stardew Valley. Lots of other non-streesful games.
DavidPiper 2y ago
> Even the music, which is supposed to flow with soft, pleasant and melodious tunes and beats There's quite a lot of research that our music exposure between roughly 13 and 16 creates our formative taste. Everyone has a first time hearing (e.g.) Beethoven's 5th, Autumn Leaves, Bohemian Rhapsody, Killing in the Name, and Blank Space. Their reactions will be different depending on their age, taste, emotional state, musical interests, social context, and so on.
- Loughla 2y ago
  To my pride, my oldest child picked BYOB or Killing in the Name as his choices for his walk up song in little League baseball. I've never, ever been prouder of him.
  - pcdoodle 2y ago
    Holy shi* that's awesome.
magic_hamster 2y ago
In defense of gory games - blood and gore can be framed in different ways. Some of my favorite early PC games were quite "gory", but the violence had a funny element to it. Carmageddon 1 and 2 are still pretty hilarious today because the poor pedestrians can meet such outlandish and ridiculous fates. Half Life also makes me chuckle with its low poly gibs. Gore can be quite silly.
KurSix 2y ago
I think the rise of cozy games is kind of a counter-response to exactly the overload you're talking about. Not everything in gaming today is high-octane chaos or gritty realism
- namaria 2y ago
  I've come to resent the frenetic pace demanded of everything now. Why does everything must keep accelerating? Slow down and fix things I say.
  - KurSix 2y ago
    Exactly! It feels like everything - games, work, even how we consume media - is stuck in this loop of "go faster, do more." Cozy games are kind of a quiet rebellion against that.
darreninthenet 2y ago
Which Forza would you recommend for doing that?
- natebc 2y ago
  For me at least, Forza Horizon 4 especially with Lego Valley.
nvarsj 2y ago
That's just like, your opinion, man. There's something incredibly cathartic about ripping heads off of demons to the cacophony of heavy metal (Doom).
- frogpelt 2y ago
  Yeah… but if you had to rip heads off of demons in your day job you might not feel that way.
  - whatevaa 2y ago
    If you had to be factorio engineer in real life you also wouldn't like it, so I don't understand this comparison. Games are games, life is life.
- JodieBenitez 2y ago
  Mick Gordon music makes me ride my bike faster. In the same vein: https://davdralleon.bandcamp.com/album/street-krvzader https://davdralleon.bandcamp.com/album/street-krvzader
  - nvarsj 2y ago
    Oh wow love this. Thanks for the rec.
keepamovin 2y ago
Yes! I’m always wanting to play with my wife, but she finds it really boring. I find it super fun. Haha
polytely 2y ago
I would suggest you start looking into independent games. Just this month Blue Prince came out, a puzzle game à la mist but mixed with elements from modern rogue-lite games like Binding of Isaac. It is designed and directed by one guy, Tonda Ros, and it is thoughtful and rewards playing slowly and taking plenty of notes. >I can't even dare to look at the title imagery of these new games on xbox while scrolling through list of games on app store. It's gory, weirdness and insanity being portrayed as high quality. >I guess, humanity in the West craved for some excitement in their lives, due to post-war peace time being devoid of any survival struggle. And the media - movies, music, internet - kept on dumping loads of it. Even the music, which is supposed to flow with soft, pleasant and melodious tunes and beats, has turned into a cacophony of loud shouting and hysteric expressions and acts of the artists. This is just plain wrong, and a sign you are not looking good enough. Never in the history of the world have we been producing the amount much art and culture as we are doing right now, the only problem is that the good stuff will not passively reach you, you will have to take initiative and seek it out.
- taeric 2y ago
  Blue Prince is remarkably fun. Finding the over arching story puzzles has been a real joy. Brings mystery to the experience and a new sort of suspense to how you plan out the house each day.
andai 2y ago
That's a funny way of looking at it... we finally have peace, and most the guys I know spend their free time rehearsing killing!
vinceguidry 2y ago
> Lack of such frantic craziness is seen as boring (I never heard of this word boring in my childhood). Slow life in general is being viewed as socially unacceptable. We are frogs in a boiling pot. Reminds me of this clip of Jeff Bezos being a total dick to William Shatner. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GQoHIBDogU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GQoHIBDogU Shatner later realized that 11 minutes in space wasn't really anything to write home about and that billionaires are assholes.
- AndrewOMartin 2y ago
  I learned about this from YouTuber Angela Collier recently and, not too take anything away from the thesis of their video or from your point, a longer video of the same event shows Bezos giving Shatner his undivided attention immediately after the shorter video ends. Longer video here: https://cosmicperspective.com/william-shatner-overview-effect-ns18/ https://cosmicperspective.com/william-shatner-overview-effec...
  - vinceguidry 2y ago
    Dr. Collier is my happy place. No one fulfills my desire for intellectual and ethical enrichment more.
- mdaniel 2y ago
  > Shatner later realized that 11 minutes in space wasn't really anything to write home about I am totally on board with the qualifier "not worth the money," but I can't imagine an outcome that's not worth writing home about. Hell, I'd probably enjoy the ride just as much as the view because when else do you get to go multi-Mach?
pxoe 2y ago
>Even the music, which is supposed to flow with soft, pleasant and melodious tunes and beats, has turned into a cacophony of loud shouting and hysteric expressions and acts of the artists. Ironically, this only shows closed-mindedness and limited view of music (and other entertainment as well). Seriously though, what is up with people here that go "entertainment is bad (cause i don't know better)", and seemingly have so many people agree with them as well. It's not even funny, it's just kinda sad, if this is even a sincere view and not just obtuse trolling slash some bizarre 'culture war', 'current culture is bad' shit takes. "the gory games", this is some "parents being scared of Doom (1993 videogame)" nonsense, are we seriously recycling all of that idiocy? Just barely new puritanism. Feeling traumatized by the Xbox games catalog is kind of a hilarious image though.
- jamwil 2y ago
  I thought it was an interesting perspective from someone who has lived a very un-American life.
  - pxoe 2y ago
    I'm not sure if it's so much "un-american" rather than just "popular culture is dumb" (which may be one's perspective even on culture that's more local to them). It's not interesting, it's shallow. It's refusing to see depth in things. It's anti-interesting, if anything - preventing something interesting from developing, preventing developing interest in something. And there's truly no shortage of unoriginal pearl clutching like this about everything. (besides, "the west" might not be america, nor is it necessarily an outside perspective from some other place or a perspective on things more closely around them.)
rikthevik 2y ago
Or play Wizardry and be so full of despair. :)

by zkmon 2y ago

9029 2y ago

balatro

WA 2y ago

Ah come on. While you have a point, it’s been bread and games, public executions, and sad classical music in D minor for hundreds of years.

hansworst 2y ago
Hundreds? The bread and games thing is literally a quote from the Roman Empire, and I’m sure they didn’t invent it themselves either.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- WA 2y ago
  Yes but "hundreds" is the selector that applies for all three of my examples, whereas "thousands" merely applies to two ;)
  - hansworst 2y ago
    Pretty sure the romans had public executions too

jader201 2y ago

You’re referring to a lot of mainstream games, but it’s not hard to find relaxing (cozy) games. Also, many of Nintendo’s first party titles still have the same charm as their old school titles. I’m not a fan of a lot of the gory, hyper, crazy games you’re referring to, either, but there are no shortage of games that stick to the traditional charm, and I can always find something to enjoy. I’m playing through Unicorn Overlords right now, and while I wouldn’t consider it “cozy”, it’s none of the adjectives you use, and reminds me a lot of Ogre Battle on SNES, or Final Fantasy Tactics on PS1. Having said that, I’m also a huge fan of breaking out a deck of cards or board game and enjoying a quiet game with family/friends. Heck, I’ll even spend a couple days playing through a solo game of 1862. [1] [1] https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/66837 https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/66837

safety1st 2y ago
The Reuters article might be conflating some game design philosophies (relaxed, unrushed, non-competitive, no penalty for failure) with some game themes (farming, building, social relationships). Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley - yeah for sure these are some of the original and most iconic "cozy games" out there. But personally my favorite game in that genre is Graveyard Keeper, mechanics feel reminiscent of Stardew Valley, but when you're not burying bodies you're out looking for booze to keep a talking skull inebriated. And frankly the coziest game experience I have these days is with a title that no one ever would have associated with that term a few years ago: World of Warcraft. Nostalgia probably has something to do with it but they've now added a solo player mode (Delves) which is relaxed, unrushed, non-competitive etc. You can die five or six times before you fail, and penalties are light, but frankly, they're not very hard. If you have a spare half hour you can just Delves'n'chill by yourself and come out with a gear upgrade or two. So, I think it is not the theme, not even the mechanics but a set of game design principles that makes a game cozy. What were not cozy were the competitive FPSes and fighting games I played when I was younger, where we were all screaming at each other - that stuff can be fun but these days my emotional energy is directed elsewhere and I game to recharge.
- Capricorn2481 2y ago

mvdtnz 2y ago

> I can't even dare to look at the title imagery of these new games on xbox while scrolling through list of games on app store. It's gory, weirdness and insanity being portrayed as high quality. What an absolutely stupid generalisation. Play what you want but don't be ignorant. I actually love a good gory or "insane" game but the last 5 played games on my Steam list are Factorio, Overcooked 2, Planet Coaster 2, Pico Park 2 and F1 2023. It's absolutely fine if you don't like video games but to class every mainstream video game as "gory, weirdness and insanity" is ignorant.

satellite2 2y ago

I had a dinner with a friend which is a doctor and one which is a dentist. They famously consume movies/series that perfectly fit your description. They told me after a full day being kind and empathetic while also spending a lot of time standing, you just want to see the world burn. Very enlighting, especially since most of our society works in services

antonchekhov 2y ago
"Frasier", Season 5 Episode 12: Niles: [walks in] Hello, Dad. I believe we switched videotapes on accident. Martin: Believe me, I noticed. Niles: Yes, there you go. [hands over video] At first I was dismayed. I popped in the tape, and there was Charles Bronson blowing away street trash, but I actually got into it. It was quite suspenseful. Martin: Yeah, well, that's the way Duke and I felt about "My Dinner With Andre." Talk about suspense! [fake, dramatic anticipation] Will they order dessert? Will they leave a good tip? [walks to chair and sits]
augzodia 2y ago
I have two therapist friends who like to watch horror movies because they say it’s a good outlet to externalize their stress and anxiety

pier25 2y ago

I agree but you're exaggerating. Millions if not billions are playing cozy "boring" games like Candy Crush.

riehwvfbk 2y ago
And that's a good thing? Sure, these games ease anxiety. So do opiates. Every minute spent playing addictive drivel like Candy Crush is a minute spent not exercising, learning, or bonding with fellow humans.
- maccard 2y ago
  Most animals have down time. Spending it on candy crush is no worse than spending it reading agony aunt magazines or napping.
  - riehwvfbk 2y ago
    I think we'll eventually realize that this line of thought is the same as tobacco company apologetics. Napping isn't A/B tested for maximum addictiveness.
    - II2II 2y ago
      One of the things I enjoy about many (albeit, not all) cozy games is the ability to step into them, step out of the game five minutes later, then pick them up several days later. Sure, some developers are going to do A/B testing to monetize every last second of game play. That said, I doubt that many of those games would fit into a realistic definition of cozy games simply because most of them exploit the player's emotional state.
      - riehwvfbk 2y ago
        And let me guess, you can quit any time you decide? Try not to play for 30 days and report back with your findings. I think you are underestimating the amount of time you spend on this filler activity.

thih9 2y ago

> music, which is supposed to flow with soft, pleasant and melodious tunes and beats… This is very subjective. And as you earlier say, e.g. military band music is supposed to do the opposite. > …has turned into a cacophony of loud shouting and hysteric expressions and acts of the artists. Chill music is actually very popular these days, especially on streaming media and youtube but it’s also accessible via traditional media.

jamiek88 2y ago
Yeah Lofi is huge!
xeonmc 2y ago
He must find Beethoven scandalous.

socalgal2 2y ago

Nintendo has the Animal Crossing series which are certainly relaxing (cozy) games and it's latest one is multiplayer. I don't know if Pikman counts. Feels a little stressful to me. But of course there's several 3rd party games, the obvious one being Stardew Valley. Lots of other non-streesful games.

DavidPiper 2y ago

> Even the music, which is supposed to flow with soft, pleasant and melodious tunes and beats There's quite a lot of research that our music exposure between roughly 13 and 16 creates our formative taste. Everyone has a first time hearing (e.g.) Beethoven's 5th, Autumn Leaves, Bohemian Rhapsody, Killing in the Name, and Blank Space. Their reactions will be different depending on their age, taste, emotional state, musical interests, social context, and so on.

Loughla 2y ago
To my pride, my oldest child picked BYOB or Killing in the Name as his choices for his walk up song in little League baseball. I've never, ever been prouder of him.
- pcdoodle 2y ago
  Holy shi* that's awesome.

magic_hamster 2y ago

In defense of gory games - blood and gore can be framed in different ways. Some of my favorite early PC games were quite "gory", but the violence had a funny element to it. Carmageddon 1 and 2 are still pretty hilarious today because the poor pedestrians can meet such outlandish and ridiculous fates. Half Life also makes me chuckle with its low poly gibs. Gore can be quite silly.

KurSix 2y ago

I think the rise of cozy games is kind of a counter-response to exactly the overload you're talking about. Not everything in gaming today is high-octane chaos or gritty realism

namaria 2y ago
I've come to resent the frenetic pace demanded of everything now. Why does everything must keep accelerating? Slow down and fix things I say.
- KurSix 2y ago
  Exactly! It feels like everything - games, work, even how we consume media - is stuck in this loop of "go faster, do more." Cozy games are kind of a quiet rebellion against that.

darreninthenet 2y ago

Which Forza would you recommend for doing that?

natebc 2y ago
For me at least, Forza Horizon 4 especially with Lego Valley.

nvarsj 2y ago

That's just like, your opinion, man. There's something incredibly cathartic about ripping heads off of demons to the cacophony of heavy metal (Doom).

frogpelt 2y ago
Yeah… but if you had to rip heads off of demons in your day job you might not feel that way.
- whatevaa 2y ago
  If you had to be factorio engineer in real life you also wouldn't like it, so I don't understand this comparison. Games are games, life is life.
JodieBenitez 2y ago
Mick Gordon music makes me ride my bike faster. In the same vein: https://davdralleon.bandcamp.com/album/street-krvzader https://davdralleon.bandcamp.com/album/street-krvzader
- nvarsj 2y ago
  Oh wow love this. Thanks for the rec.

keepamovin 2y ago

Yes! I’m always wanting to play with my wife, but she finds it really boring. I find it super fun. Haha

polytely 2y ago

I would suggest you start looking into independent games. Just this month Blue Prince came out, a puzzle game à la mist but mixed with elements from modern rogue-lite games like Binding of Isaac. It is designed and directed by one guy, Tonda Ros, and it is thoughtful and rewards playing slowly and taking plenty of notes. >I can't even dare to look at the title imagery of these new games on xbox while scrolling through list of games on app store. It's gory, weirdness and insanity being portrayed as high quality. >I guess, humanity in the West craved for some excitement in their lives, due to post-war peace time being devoid of any survival struggle. And the media - movies, music, internet - kept on dumping loads of it. Even the music, which is supposed to flow with soft, pleasant and melodious tunes and beats, has turned into a cacophony of loud shouting and hysteric expressions and acts of the artists. This is just plain wrong, and a sign you are not looking good enough. Never in the history of the world have we been producing the amount much art and culture as we are doing right now, the only problem is that the good stuff will not passively reach you, you will have to take initiative and seek it out.

taeric 2y ago
Blue Prince is remarkably fun. Finding the over arching story puzzles has been a real joy. Brings mystery to the experience and a new sort of suspense to how you plan out the house each day.

andai 2y ago

That's a funny way of looking at it... we finally have peace, and most the guys I know spend their free time rehearsing killing!

vinceguidry 2y ago

> Lack of such frantic craziness is seen as boring (I never heard of this word boring in my childhood). Slow life in general is being viewed as socially unacceptable. We are frogs in a boiling pot. Reminds me of this clip of Jeff Bezos being a total dick to William Shatner. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GQoHIBDogU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GQoHIBDogU Shatner later realized that 11 minutes in space wasn't really anything to write home about and that billionaires are assholes.

AndrewOMartin 2y ago
I learned about this from YouTuber Angela Collier recently and, not too take anything away from the thesis of their video or from your point, a longer video of the same event shows Bezos giving Shatner his undivided attention immediately after the shorter video ends. Longer video here: https://cosmicperspective.com/william-shatner-overview-effect-ns18/ https://cosmicperspective.com/william-shatner-overview-effec...
- vinceguidry 2y ago
  Dr. Collier is my happy place. No one fulfills my desire for intellectual and ethical enrichment more.
mdaniel 2y ago
> Shatner later realized that 11 minutes in space wasn't really anything to write home about I am totally on board with the qualifier "not worth the money," but I can't imagine an outcome that's not worth writing home about. Hell, I'd probably enjoy the ride just as much as the view because when else do you get to go multi-Mach?

pxoe 2y ago

>Even the music, which is supposed to flow with soft, pleasant and melodious tunes and beats, has turned into a cacophony of loud shouting and hysteric expressions and acts of the artists. Ironically, this only shows closed-mindedness and limited view of music (and other entertainment as well). Seriously though, what is up with people here that go "entertainment is bad (cause i don't know better)", and seemingly have so many people agree with them as well. It's not even funny, it's just kinda sad, if this is even a sincere view and not just obtuse trolling slash some bizarre 'culture war', 'current culture is bad' shit takes. "the gory games", this is some "parents being scared of Doom (1993 videogame)" nonsense, are we seriously recycling all of that idiocy? Just barely new puritanism. Feeling traumatized by the Xbox games catalog is kind of a hilarious image though.

jamwil 2y ago
I thought it was an interesting perspective from someone who has lived a very un-American life.
- pxoe 2y ago
  I'm not sure if it's so much "un-american" rather than just "popular culture is dumb" (which may be one's perspective even on culture that's more local to them). It's not interesting, it's shallow. It's refusing to see depth in things. It's anti-interesting, if anything - preventing something interesting from developing, preventing developing interest in something. And there's truly no shortage of unoriginal pearl clutching like this about everything. (besides, "the west" might not be america, nor is it necessarily an outside perspective from some other place or a perspective on things more closely around them.)

rikthevik 2y ago

Or play Wizardry and be so full of despair. :)