How have games improved your life?

Hey fellow CAGs 

I've been gaming for a very long time, and I'm sure that a lot of you have also. I've been going through a rough time in my life and playing video games has kept me together mentally during these rough times...

During instances when I considered suicide due to depression, rejection, loneliness, etc... video games kept me going and kept me in high spirits all of the characters I've fell in love with and got to know in various games became closer to me than any other real life person. It may sound crazy, but its my true experience and its something that has helped me greatly.

I'm curious if any of you feel the same way, or have had a similar positive experience towards video games that have greatly improved the quality of your life? Which games have touched you the most?

Happy gaming forever!

Honestly, I don't think they've had any positive effect on my life. They suck away my free time and money. I enjoy gaming, but I've been trying to cut back on virtual worlds and focus on spending more time in the real one.

When I was in college about 10 years ago I took a Political science course and the teacher made each student tell the rest of the class what they feel most influenced how they lean politically in life. My answer got a big laugh out of the class then a stunned silence, followed by more laughing from some and respect from a few others. My answer was that video games, especially RPGs created much of my moral compass and a long with it my political beliefs. I grew up playing games like Final Fantasy, Breath of Fire and Lufia and then as I got older expanded into PC games like Planescape Torment and Baldurs Gate. These games were often not just about taking down the villain but had side quests to feed starving people, to rescue someones kid from a burning building or help gather materials to rebuild the town after the fire. They instilled in me wanting to do the right thing in any circumstance, no matter the pain or how people look at you or other consequences. Always do the right thing, you take food out of your mouth to put it in someone elses.

From here I am not trying to be offensive to anyone just stating my own beliefs and how video games effected me. I could not be a conservative after playing these games. There were just far too many contradictions between what video games taught me was morally right and conservative views. These games taught me to feed and shelter the poor, not cut welfare and pass tax cuts and subsidies for the rich. These games taught me the environment is to be treasured, not exploited. There are many more examples I could give that just did not jive in my mind between the moral compass RPGs gave me and conservative values, but I dont want to derail your topic(and lord knows politics will). It may seem silly to others, but to me video games improved my life by raising me to have a better moral compass when my parents were failing to do so.

Other then a moral compass video games also taught me to be open minded. The JRPGs did much of the heavy lifting giving me my moral compass, but the WRPGs taught me just how freaking different people are from each other. TV and movies tend to basically introduce the same characters and dynamics over and over making them much harder to learn from then video games. Games like Planescape Torment took me into the depths of peoples minds showing just how differently some people can think and the beauty in it(even if I disagree with their PoV). These games gave much less idealized portrayals of what it is to be human then the JRPGs or TV/movies ever have and for that I am thankful.

I also  blame video games in part for me being a hopeless romantic and believing in a fairy tale vision of love, seriously I am worse then any chic when it comes to being Romantic and craving it in turn. Finally games gave me a sense that even if I dont like humanity and think the worst of it.....I recognize how much potential we have when we do work together towards the right thing. They give me hope in a world without a lot of it.  The people who write these stories and design these games are still dreaming, they still have their heart in the right place and as long as humans can tell stories of peace and prosperity for all.....maybe we still have a shot at one day living it?

Sorry if this was too long or sappy. But it is honestly how VGs effected me and IMO in very positive ways.

Wanted to add I am glad you are still around and kicking and that games gave you an outlet to not feel suicidal. I know they got me and many others through hard times as well.

...Well, they've shot my attention span. I can't be bothered to read an entire book in peace anymore!

MSI Magus said:

Wanted to add I am glad you are still around and kicking and that games gave you an outlet to not feel suicidal. I know they got me and many others through hard times as well.

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I really enjoyed reading your post in its entirety. I'm glad that unlike me (who continues to have disdain for humanity and a general jaded outlook on life), you still believe in human potential when they cooperate and work together.

I also feel like my personal moral compass influenced all of my RPG experiences... even though I tend to be more cold and callous in reality, I tend to be philanthropic and righteous in video games. I must care about video game characters than actual people... hehe

Dance Dance Revolution helped me get more fit. But that was like 12 years ago.

I also believe games helped my eye/hand coordination. As a result I'm pretty good at things like darts & pool. 

english isn't my first language. but i grew up playing a lot of rpgs. i didnt know what the options i was presented with meant or what the items in the games were for, but that didn't stop me from playing. i mean there are indicators what each item does (replenish hp, mana, opens certain doors etc.)

and i played star wars rebel assault on the PC. it was a demo from a CD ROM magazine.. Sam & Max was bundled in it too.

but anyway, that star wars game made me fall in love with orchestra music. sometimes i would alt tab, to pause the game, and let john william's score run in the background. so good...

plus that game has cinematic scenes with voice overs. sometimes i imitated the scenes and accents. people think i was born in the US because i "don't have" any accent...

oh and i went through a WW2 phase when battlefield 1942 and call of duty 2003 were released. i couldn't stop myself from learning about ww2. i turnedo n the history channel when i got home from school, and sometimes just let it run in the background. and i was obsessed with band of brothers and saving private ryan.

but anyway, basically i grew to have an appreciation for orchestral music, and soundtracks in general. and gaming helped me learn english.

not saying my english is perfect but otherwise it would have been worse

oh btw, DOOM was my first game. i was 4 years old! 

giantqtipz said:

english isn't my first language. but i grew up playing a lot of rpgs. i didnt know what the options i was presented with meant or what the items in the games were for, but that didn't stop me from playing. i mean there are indicators what each item does (replenish hp, mana, opens certain doors etc.)

and i played star wars rebel assault on the PC. it was a demo from a CD ROM magazine.. Sam & Max was bundled in it too.

but anyway, that star wars game made me fall in love with orchestra music. sometimes i would alt tab, to pause the game, and let john william's score run in the background. so good...

plus that game has cinematic scenes with voice overs. sometimes i imitated the scenes and accents. people think i was born in the US because i "don't have" any accent...

oh and i went through a WW2 phase when battlefield 1942 and call of duty 2003 were released. i couldn't stop myself from learning about ww2. i turnedo n the history channel when i got home from school, and sometimes just let it run in the background. and i was obsessed with band of brothers and saving private ryan.

but anyway, basically i grew to have an appreciation for orchestral music, and soundtracks in general. and gaming helped me learn english.

not saying my english is perfect but otherwise it would have been worse

oh btw, DOOM was my first game. i was 4 years old!

Click to expand...

giantqtipz said:

english isn't my first language. but i grew up playing a lot of rpgs. i didnt know what the options i was presented with meant or what the items in the games were for, but that didn't stop me from playing. i mean there are indicators what each item does (replenish hp, mana, opens certain doors etc.)

and i played star wars rebel assault on the PC. it was a demo from a CD ROM magazine.. Sam & Max was bundled in it too.

but anyway, that star wars game made me fall in love with orchestra music. sometimes i would alt tab, to pause the game, and let john william's score run in the background. so good...

plus that game has cinematic scenes with voice overs. sometimes i imitated the scenes and accents. people think i was born in the US because i "don't have" any accent...

oh and i went through a WW2 phase when battlefield 1942 and call of duty 2003 were released. i couldn't stop myself from learning about ww2. i turnedo n the history channel when i got home from school, and sometimes just let it run in the background. and i was obsessed with band of brothers and saving private ryan.

but anyway, basically i grew to have an appreciation for orchestral music, and soundtracks in general. and gaming helped me learn english.

not saying my english is perfect but otherwise it would have been worse

oh btw, DOOM was my first game. i was 4 years old!

Click to expand...

Your English is clearly good enough that you should be proud of it(especially for being self taught)and thankful to games for the skill! Good job man, wish I would have had the same determination when I tried to learn Japanese....I stuck with it a few weeks then just turned to hitting on my teacher and tutor.

MSI Magus said:

Your English is clearly good enough that you should be proud of it(especially for being self taught)and thankful to games for the skill! Good job man, wish I would have had the same determination when I tried to learn Japanese....I stuck with it a few weeks then just turned to hitting on my teacher and tutor.

Click to expand...

I'm in the process of learning Japanese as well, and admittedly becoming pretty good at it. Maybe because my teacher and tutor isn't as attractive as yours may be

giantqtipz said:

english isn't my first language. but i grew up playing a lot of rpgs. i didnt know what the options i was presented with meant or what the items in the games were for, but that didn't stop me from playing. i mean there are indicators what each item does (replenish hp, mana, opens certain doors etc.)

and i played star wars rebel assault on the PC. it was a demo from a CD ROM magazine.. Sam & Max was bundled in it too.

but anyway, that star wars game made me fall in love with orchestra music. sometimes i would alt tab, to pause the game, and let john william's score run in the background. so good...

plus that game has cinematic scenes with voice overs. sometimes i imitated the scenes and accents. people think i was born in the US because i "don't have" any accent...

oh and i went through a WW2 phase when battlefield 1942 and call of duty 2003 were released. i couldn't stop myself from learning about ww2. i turnedo n the history channel when i got home from school, and sometimes just let it run in the background. and i was obsessed with band of brothers and saving private ryan.

but anyway, basically i grew to have an appreciation for orchestral music, and soundtracks in general. and gaming helped me learn english.

not saying my english is perfect but otherwise it would have been worse

oh btw, DOOM was my first game. i was 4 years old!

Click to expand...

YOU PLAYED DOOM AT 4 YEARS OLD???

Impressive

Aced high school by telling my history teacher, "'Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past.'"

Though I was quoting Command and Conquor, turns out it was even more famous and impressive.

But nah, I've just learned confidence, problem solving, self-esteems, and how to read (NES). Also learned a lot of patience...

I have to admit that playing games gives me a lot of fun when I need to do something to kill time. And games set me free from the dusty world, from troubles. 

It's improved my life in the way of providing a comical and enjoyable means of entertainment when I'm with friends. Also helped my economic, time management and writing skills.