I talked to Jeremy today. One of the topics we talked about was video games. He asked me what I would buy if I was going to buy a game system. I told him that I would buy a Playstation 2. I would choose the Playstation 2 because the number of games it has. It is also backwards compatible with the old PS1 Games. I also like the games that are out for the Playstation 2. This is a topic that I have put some thought into.
He said that he is thinking about buy a video game system because there is a new kind of narrative that is going on with games right now. It is a narrative that he would like to know more about. He wants to know about the stories that are going on inside these games. Games are at a level now that the interface can really give someone the ability to explore that world.
I have stayed away from buying a video game console. It is an idea that pops in my head from time to time, but I have kept myself from buying one. The main reason that I have not bought one is because of time. I have enough ways to waste my time as it is. I never find the time to do a lot of things that I really want to do. If I bought a Playstation 2, it would be one more thing in my life that I could use to waste my time. That is something I should stay away from.
Tonight I went to a story and looked at the Playstation 2 again. I looked at the games, the memory cards, the accessories, and everything I could buy for it. I walked out of the store without buying anything. It almost seems too overwhelming. I have too many choices when I am standing there. There are too many games for me to choose from. I could pick the wrong game and hate it. I could make the wrong decision and waste my money. It is almost too big of a world. I do not know if I want to get involved with it.
The conversation about video games started with something my sister said. She was complaining that parents let their kids be hypnotized by video games. In the long run it hurt the kids ability to concentrate. Video games give so much feed back for every little thing you do. Most things that need concentration and focus give very little feedback. All the time I see kids that are playing Game Boys and not paying attention to their parents. All the kids want to focus on are the games. I wonder if it is any different then drugging the kids.
I play the game Civilization on my PC. Time just blows by me when I play this game. I loose any kind of touch with the outside world. I know that when I am done playing the game I cannot focus on anything. The game is still running in my head. I have to concentrate less just to get the game out of my head.
There is still a chance that I will buy a Playstation 2. I will have to see how I feel in the weeks ahead. I know that I should not buy it, but that has not stopped me in the past.
Labels: game, Jerery P Bushnell, Playstation, video game
