Never Bother Your Kids About Gaming AGAIN! - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Nehkara · 06-23-2006, 04:25 AM

Parents who chastised their kids for playing too many video games and saying it'll never amount to anything got a wake-up call today. Major League Gaming, which claims to be the first pro-gaming league of its kind, announced the largest pro-gaming contracts in the sport's young history--$1.25 million for five young cyberathletes.

Five gamers will make $250,000 over three years for their commitment to the league, which tours across the country each year with open competitions in several games, including Halo 2 and Super Smash Bros. Melee.

MLG today also announced that energy-drink maker Red Bull has signed on as a supporter, joining Boost Mobile, Scion, and GameStop in MLG's stable of partners looking to crack the prized 18- to 34-year-old demographic.

GS: Are there any additional cash incentives for your signed players?
MB: We have $800,000 in total cash and prizes for the winners of each stop on the 2006 Pro Circuit.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6153008.html

Cheese · 06-23-2006, 06:03 AM

GREAT! The dumbing down of society continues! I can see the arguments in living rooms across the country!
Johnny have you finished your Math homework? Leave me alone Mom...Im in the middle of my Halo 2 exam...ill be taking it all night!

Buff · 06-23-2006, 09:30 AM

Cheese is showing his age again

HitterD · 06-23-2006, 09:36 AM

"cyberathletes"

I find this quite funny

May as well call me an athlete too, since I sit on the couch and watch sports

J pold · 06-23-2006, 09:40 AM

Wow that’s horrible, all this is going to go is take away from the already non existent lives of hardcore gamers, if they don’t spend enough time trying to Level up there Half Wizard Elf Swordsman, now they have this to work towards this impossible goal, and the worst part is, every gamer deep down thinks they could achieve something like this, we are going to loose a hole generation of kids to gaming, its really sad

Bobblehead · 06-23-2006, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J pold

Wow that’s horrible, all this is going to go is take away from the already non existent lives of hardcore gamers, if they don’t spend enough time trying to Level up there Half Wizard Elf Swordsman, now they have this to work towards this impossible goal, and the worst part is, every gamer deep down thinks they could achieve something like this, we are going to loose a hole generation of kids to gaming, its really sad

Yeah, they should go out and play sports where they are always last picked and suck at them!

Hey, if this makes them happy, then what's the problem. Its not like every kid will aspire to this. When I was 8 I wanted to play pro-baseball. By the time I was 14 that was long forgotten. But maybe for some segment of the population who actually enjoys doing this, it will be a way for them to become members of a community. It already happens. There was an ET thread on here yesterday. Look up ET Clans, and you will see groups of people from all over who get together on a regular basis. Sure, it is online, but so what - theses people have many different opinions and insights. Very similar to this board.

HitterD · 06-23-2006, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Yeah, they should go out and play sports where they are always last picked and suck at them!

Hey, if this makes them happy, then what's the problem. Its not like every kid will aspire to this. When I was 8 I wanted to play pro-baseball. By the time I was 14 that was long forgotten. But maybe for some segment of the population who actually enjoys doing this, it will be a way for them to become members of a community. It already happens. There was an ET thread on here yesterday. Look up ET Clans, and you will see groups of people from all over who get together on a regular basis. Sure, it is online, but so what - theses people have many different opinions and insights. Very similar to this board.

The problem i see with this situation is that many children spend much of there spare time playing video games already, and this gaming league could increase that playing time.

With Childhood Obesity already becoming a severe problem in our society (and future drain on our health care system, much like smoking), Video games are vastly contibuting to this problem. Too many kids are foregoing physical activity for sitting on a couch and plaing games or watching TV as it is. If we give them more incentive to do so, the problems caused by this unhealthy lifestyle will only escalate.

Maritime Q-Scout · 06-23-2006, 10:02 AM

a few years ago when StarFox came out for the PS1, my brother and his best friend researched all the tricks and tips online before it came out, then they rented it and played it non-stop for a week.

Here at the end of the week my bro's friend was at the grocery store with his parents, and saw that they were having a StarFox tournament with the grand prize being a big screen TV.

Guess who won the big screen? Neither my parents nor his has ever ragged on them playing video games again.

Bobblehead · 06-23-2006, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HitterD

The problem i see with this situation is that many children spend much of there spare time playing video games already, and this gaming league could increase that playing time.

With Childhood Obesity already becoming a severe problem in our society (and future drain on our health care system, much like smoking), Video games are vastly contibuting to this problem. Too many kids are foregoing physical activity for sitting on a couch and plaing games or watching TV as it is. If we give them more incentive to do so, the problems caused by this unhealthy lifestyle will only escalate.

That is already an issue, and has been since the NES (I would have said Atari/Intellivision, but there was a real lull for a few years before the NES). This isn't going change that at all. I'm pretty sure that unless the kid was already an elite player they aren't even going to get a sniff of any 'play for money' games.

Azure · 06-23-2006, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HitterD

The problem i see with this situation is that many children spend much of there spare time playing video games already, and this gaming league could increase that playing time.

With Childhood Obesity already becoming a severe problem in our society (and future drain on our health care system, much like smoking), Video games are vastly contibuting to this problem. Too many kids are foregoing physical activity for sitting on a couch and plaing games or watching TV as it is. If we give them more incentive to do so, the problems caused by this unhealthy lifestyle will only escalate.

Very true. But working in an office all day long does the exact same thing to older people. There is nothing wrong with playing video games, as long as you find an effective schedule that can keep you in shape as well.

HitterD · 06-23-2006, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

But the macdonalds' and wendys' and all the other marketing machines aimed at children get off scott free.

This is just another thing designed to make money off children, like Disney, tabacco, sugar, tamacco, music industry and the all the other things. TO blame all the ills on just one of many is short sighted......oh and lets not forget about THE PARENTS.

Very good point, perhaps i was a little short sighted, I was trying to suggest that Video gaming among children is a major contributor to this problem, but I should have mentioned the other factors.

And Yes, the biggest problem is the parents. Commonly, parents are relying on TV and Video games to babysit the children.

Interesting you mention that Tobacco is aimed to make money off of children. I'm not sure if that is the #1 marketing goal of tobacco products, but i have noticed a few too many kids around the age of 10-14 smoking in my community

HitterD · 06-23-2006, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

Very true. But working in an office all day long does the exact same thing to older people. There is nothing wrong with playing video games, as long as you find an effective schedule that can keep you in shape as well.

Absolutly. I enjoy video games myelf. The difference is that every morning before work I go for a run and work out. Then I play video games a couple of nights a week, but I make sure to get my daily physical activity in as well. I only wish more parents could promote something similar to their children

rubecube · 06-23-2006, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HitterD

Absolutly. I enjoy video games myelf. The difference is that every morning before work I go for a run and work out. Then I play video games a couple of nights a week, but I make sure to get my daily physical activity in as well. I only wish more parents could promote something similar to their children

Does walking to the bar and ordering a jug count?

Buff · 06-23-2006, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Yeah, they should go out and play sports where they are always last picked and suck at them!

Hey, if this makes them happy, then what's the problem. Its not like every kid will aspire to this. When I was 8 I wanted to play pro-baseball. By the time I was 14 that was long forgotten. But maybe for some segment of the population who actually enjoys doing this, it will be a way for them to become members of a community. It already happens. There was an ET thread on here yesterday. Look up ET Clans, and you will see groups of people from all over who get together on a regular basis. Sure, it is online, but so what - theses people have many different opinions and insights. Very similar to this board.

Clans are not limited to just ET. You'll find a clan for nearly every online FPS game. I don't play them but I"m certain you'd find clans for WOW and StarWars Galaxies too (as well as other similar games.) Clans are basically the non-professional gaming leagues.

Igottago · 06-23-2006, 10:36 AM

Video games get a bad rap. Most of us have played video games at some point in our youth...many still do. We are not all fat anti-social freaks. If someone spends 3 hours a night watching mind-numbing reality tv, are they any better or healthier than someone who spends the same amount of time playing games? Mentally, I'd argue they're a bit unhealthier. So if someone likes spending their free time (within reason) leveling up in a game rather than watching crappy tv, then who cares?

rubecube · 06-23-2006, 10:37 AM

So...anybody going to invite me to their LAN party?

Buff · 06-23-2006, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubecube

So...anybody going to invite me to their LAN party?

Do you live in Lethbridge?

rubecube · 06-23-2006, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buff

Do you live in Lethbridge?

....

No.

Clarkey · 06-23-2006, 10:42 AM

I think I remember reading a study saying that video game players have higher than average grades. Not that correlation = causation, but it was an interesting finding.

Buff · 06-23-2006, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Igottago

Video games get a bad rap. Most of us have played video games at some point in our youth...many still do. We are not all fat anti-social freaks. If someone spends 3 hours a night watching mind-numbing reality tv, are they any better or healthier than someone who spends the same amount of time playing games? Mentally, I'd argue they're a bit unhealthier. So if someone likes spending their free time (within reason) leveling up in a game rather than watching crappy tv, then who cares?

Video games are mis-labeled as a kids past time. There are plenty of older folks who play games too. I'm 30 and I still play quite regularily. I play WWII FPS games, and I'm in a clan where 30 is the average age. We range from 16 to 44 years of age. Previously to joining my clan, I just about joined a clan where I would've been the youngest member by about almost 10 years. They were about 15 guys ranging from 39 to 67.

People get this notion that video games are for kids, and therefore should be avoided and/or video gaming just isn't a good thing for society. Well that is a myth. Gaming isn't for everybody, but it isn't just for kids.