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Games Entertainment

Modern Day Gamer Documentary 168

Posted by simoniker from the modem-dies-gaming dept.
Simon Bysshe writes "I'm a UK film student, and have recently released a freely downloadable video documentary called 'Modern Day Gamer'. In it, I use interviews from a LAN party I went to in Brighton to try to address the main pre-conceptions people have about gamers, ie: is it really anti-social? is it only for geeks? is it a non-productive use of time?" We've also rustled up a BitTorrent link at Gametab and another BitTorrent link courtesy Jamuraa for this 75mb DivX file.
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Modern Day Gamer Documentary More

Modern Day Gamer Documentary

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  • Eeee... (Score:4, Funny)

    by Tyrdium ( 670229 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @04:44PM (#6118548) Homepage
    You just put up a link for a 75 meg file you're hosting? 8| *watches as the server sizzles and burns*
    • Thank GOD for bittorrent. Almost done downloading in 10 mins :)
      • Wow. I'm not getting a very good download rate... 20 KBps on DSL...

        • Re:Eeee... (Score:1, Informative)

          by Anonymous Coward
          The way bittorrent works, it's usually capped at your upload speed. You probably have a slow uplink.
      • Got it on 9min6secs, now I'm uploading at ~50-69KB although due to my ISP's stupid doctrine that ANY p2p is illegal I won't be able to let it run for a long time.

        I really really like how articles with downloads are starting to use Bittorrent. It's the simply the best system going.
      • Funny, I downloaded from the regular web link and was done in 4:)

        Not a bad little piece. Could see it being shown on TV actually to fill in a slot on the sci-fi channel or something.

        One VERY good point: Production values. VERY good quality. Slight interlacing problem in spots, but good stuff.

        Creator should probably put up a smaller MPEG version though as 75 megs for a mere 9 minutes is a little much.

    • Re:Eeee... (Score:2, Informative)

      by JeremyR ( 6924 )
      Actually it says it's a 75-millibit file... shouldn't take too long to download! :-)

    • Re:Eeee... (Score:5, Informative)

      by cshoes ( 459798 ) <don_spam@runwith ... g minus caffeine> on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @05:18PM (#6118846) Homepage
      Snicker all you want, bittorrent kicks the /. effect on its head. I just grabbed the whole file in under 15 minutes, dl rates (on cable modem) peaked around 160kb. It blows my mind how good of an idea Bt is.
      • Yeah... except for people with firewalls who can only access the web through a proxy. The increase of BT links means no access for those people (me).

      • Re:Eeee... (Score:2, Insightful)

        by thetamind_pyros ( 656004 )
        Bittorrent is a great idea. So is Slashdot subscriptions. By the time I get to read the story the subscribers will have finished downloading which means there will be plenty of seeds for me.

    • The moderators are children apparently (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Want a 5? Post something about a server being blown apart thanks to slashdot! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

  • pre-conceptions (Score:5, Insightful)

    by frieked ( 187664 ) * on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @04:44PM (#6118550) Homepage Journal
    In it, I use interviews from a LAN party I went to in Brighton to try to address the main pre-conceptions people have about gamers

    I think it would be more productive to interview non-gamers to address these pre-conceptions but as a gamer, here are my thoughts on this:

    Being a gamer I'd have to agree with many pre-conceptions people have about us in
    most cases... There are however exceptions and not everyone falls into the category of geek, nerd or loser (as those are probably the most common pre-conceptions people have about gamers).

    As for the anti-social part, it is and it isn't. Gotta have friends to play with but often that's the extent of one's activities.

    And finally the unproductive use of time: Well, it may be less productive than say...building a house but if you're doing something you enjoy I don't see how you can be going wrong... at least gaming takes some thought and skill unlike some other forms of entertainment.

    • Re:pre-conceptions (Score:4, Interesting)

      by jrl87 ( 669651 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @04:52PM (#6118630)
      Very true.

      There are some gamers who make a living off of playing games and there are others that lose a lot of money playing games such as college students.

      As for the friends, with the advent of internet bsed multiplayer games friends are not require, but it is more fun if you are playing someone you know.

      Video gaming can be productive for one example read this previous thread on /., Video Games Boost Visual Skills [slashdot.org]
      • As for the friends, with the advent of internet bsed multiplayer games friends are not require, but it is more fun if you are playing someone you know.

        Sorry, I should have been more clear about that... I was referring to the part about lan parties (gotta have friends to throw one of those :)

      • Re:pre-conceptions (Score:4, Interesting)

        by Xentax ( 201517 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @05:05PM (#6118752)
        As for the friends, with the advent of internet bsed multiplayer games friends are not require, but it is more fun if you are playing someone you know.

        That's putting it mildly, IMHO.

        I've played MUDs and most of the MMOG's out there, and more or less burned out on them.

        But, having said that, I think the biggest deterrent to that is having either a regular group of "real" (as in real-life) people to play with (and/or against), or a *very* regular group of people you know online (or, obviously, a mix).

        I just couldn't stand the leveling grind again these days, not playing with essentially strangers, at least. But I probably *could* still enjoy it with the right group of people. Right means regular, reasonably skilled, and reasonably entertaining in ways that have very little to do with the game itself. It still seems (to me) that purely-online contacts can only carry that out but so far...

        Xentax
        • I agree. Having a regular group of people to play with makes a huge difference. One of the biggest problems with almost every MMOG out there is that it's very easy to fall behind the group, and then be basically "useless" and have to be "powerleveled" to catch up (or just hold everyone back).

          It's really unfortunate that the most social of games out there in the mainstream are so fundamentally broken.
        • Yeah, I play in an MMORPG, but I got into it with a freind of mine. We would spend long nights on weekends hunting the same caves. I'd drag my box over and we'd share his cable connection. It was great.
    • There will almost always be exceptions with any group of people . . . generalization can cause so many problems and misconceptions, and it's time people learned that.

    • Enjoying life != Unproductive (Score:4, Interesting)

      by xtal ( 49134 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @05:55PM (#6119177)

      And finally the unproductive use of time: Well, it may be less productive than say...building a house but if you're doing something you enjoy I don't see how you can be going wrong... at least gaming takes some thought and skill unlike some other forms of entertainment

      I used to get bagged on for spending a lot of time and money for my hobbies, but I work to have money for things I enjoy - sometimes those things that I enjoy lead to more work, too. If you enjoy gaming, then that is justification enough. Who cares what someone else thinks? Some of the best times in University I had at lan parties. I don't think they're that anti-social either; Then again, I don't usually pay much attention to what other people think, either.

      I wish some of my other hobbies were as inexpensive as the unlimited entertainment machine that is the computer. At least you are thinking, but hey - if sitting in front of a TV and drinking beer makes you happy, all the power to you. I think we're only the second, maybe first real generation to have those options. You don't need a lot of money to be happy playing computer games. Now that I think about it, in general, you don't need very much money to be happy.

      For what some of my friends pay in rent every month to live in a hot spot socially - you can have one bitchin' computer.

      *shrug*

  • Gamers? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by grub ( 11606 ) <slashdot@grub.net> on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @04:44PM (#6118552) Homepage Journal

    I'd think multiplayer games are inherently social events. Some people (myself included) don't like multiplayer games. Give me anything from the Thief [thief3.com] series or the redone Doom stuff @ DoomsdayHQ [doomsdayhq.com]. That makes me an antisocial bastard, not the people that gather together to game.

  • They need... (Score:5, Funny)

    by craenor ( 623901 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @04:44PM (#6118554) Homepage
    Steve Erwin to narrate. An' now we sae the dangerous gamah in his naturahl habitat...who weel he frag next?

  • Answering your questions (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @04:45PM (#6118558)
    is it really anti-social?

    Kinda of. You can't cal a conversation about quad whoring a deep and meaningful conversation ;)

    is it only for geeks?

    Not really but geeks are the only ones who know how to string a LAN together network-wise.

    is it a non-productive use of time?

    Yes but so is reading Slashdot....

  • To it to us! (Score:4, Funny)

    by jabbadabbadoo ( 599681 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @04:46PM (#6118569)
    Simon Bysshe - nice flick.

    Your next project should be to interview some Slashdotters to get rid of some misconceptions about us, like beeing anti-social and stuff.

    Err. Wait a minute... Nevermind.

  • BitTorrent really shines! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by override11 ( 516715 ) <cpeterson@gts.gaineycorp.com> on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @04:47PM (#6118589) Homepage
    When you get a bittorrent link on the front page os /., that is really when the whole model goes to do its work. I'm sure all the main download sites are not recieving any more requests, but bittorrent is clipping along @ a nice 90 k / sec! :) Go Bittorrent!
  • is it a non-productive use of time?

    If it's a game, I think it's not productive by definition :)

    This is fine. Not everything in life has to be productive. If you're trying to be 'productive' 100% of the time, you're going to end up as a miserable shriveled heap hiding under the sheets all day.

    I'm 30, and many people I know are starting to break down and have midlife crises' because their work is their life.

    We all need to take a break and have fun.

    So go play. Don't worry about being 'productive'.

    But if you REALLY want to document Lan-parties, you need to include "Smell-o-vision" (TM)!!!
    • Step 1: Shoot documentary with Smell-o-vision Step 2: Rent gas masks out during showing Step 3: ??? Step 4: Profit!

    • Re:is it a non-productive use of time? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @04:56PM (#6118665)
      Your are correct on the need for recreation, but if your work involves sitting in front of a video terminal, it might be more restorative to find a recreation that doesn't involve looking at a screen.

      On a related note, a couple months ago I was walking through the field behind our public library and I came across about a dozen geeks dressed in real authentic medieval knights' costumes. They had swords and were having sword fights and what not. Pretty interesting, instead of watching a game, they were actually doing it.

  • Distributor (Score:5, Funny)

    by G3ckoG33k ( 647276 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @04:48PM (#6118600)
    First, I though, hey I want to be his distributor.

    Then, I thought, hey it is already distributed on Slashdot.

    Then, I realized, the poor guy is probably no longer having a working server...

    Heck, I thought, someone else can just as well be his distributor...

  • Maybe, No, Yes ... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by molarmass192 ( 608071 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @04:52PM (#6118629) Homepage Journal
    is it really anti-social? is it only for geeks? is it a non-productive use of time?

    1) Multiplayer games are social events, single player games are anti-social.

    2) In it's heyday it used to be for geeks since we were the only one with the equipment/connectivity to host a networked (LAN/WAN) game but now everybody seems to be doing it.

    3) As for being a non-productive use of time, it's about as non-productive as screaming at a wall both relieve stress. Still, a game of RTWC Enemy Territory beats screaming at an inanimate object in my book.

    • Re:Maybe, No, Yes ... (Score:4, Insightful)

      by read-only ( 35561 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @05:17PM (#6118839)
      There are many shades of gray here regarding the social or anti-social question.

      I would not go so far to say that multiplayer games are social. I would be inclined to say they are LAN parties are social, but as we know many multiplayer games can be played via the internet. Essentially, I could spend days/weeks/months alone in my home playing games online with other gamers, but I would not go so far as to say that is social. So I have to disagree with the assertion that all multiplayer games are social, all single player games are anti-social.

      I see why some may say that online gaming communities are social (friendships can be formed, etc.), but this is no replacement for human interaction. We have to differentiate interaction with others via digital means (in this case, online games) and human interaction.

      I guess the answer depends on wether or not your considering interaction via computer to be social. I would consider LAN parties to be higher on the "social-ness" scale due to the humar interaction.

      • We have to differentiate interaction with others via digital means (in this case, online games) and human interaction.

        Interesting point. I think it's still a social activity in the broadest sense of it's definition. The team element in games like RTCW-EM could be considered a form of a social group even though the only words usually exchanged are the canned "Good game" and "Affirmative" quick chats. There's an element of helping and protecting others for a common goal too. I assume that sociologists prob
    • 1) Multiplayer games are social events, single player games are anti-social.

      Yeah, like taking a dump. You do it alone, so it must be anti-social.

  • we've all heard this argument before (Score:4, Insightful)

    by leekwen ( 677248 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @05:00PM (#6118706)
    i am a video game addict so don't get me wrong.

    it seems like every gamer wants to try and stress the good points about gaming, and the arguments are usually one sided because the sources and references are gamers themselves. you use interviews at a LAN party, have you tried using interviews from pissed off mothers (i haven't watched the video yet, still downloading)? it is anti social in the sense that there is no direct contact through a video game server, even at LAN parties most of the communication is done through monitors or by people screaming at each other. then again i can sincerely say i have met at least half of the people i keep in contact with today through playing video games.

    only for geeks? i don't know how to argue this, the non geeks turned gamers eventually call themselves geeks anyway, jokingly or not. unless you define geek as a video game player it's not only for geeks.

    gaming is non productive because most of what people do while playing video games is learn to play that video game better. you can argue this with training reflexes, logic skills, adding creative juice and all that jazz but it depends which is worth more or less to the gamers themselves. for example my time is definitely better spent not playing video games but looking for a job.

    i have a feeling people here will edge more towards the side of gaming, what else would i use my wind.. i mean linux system for? i'm going to fight for the pissed off mothers just because i'm pretty sure they'll be the underdogs here.
    • I've spent a LOT of my time at a pretty good gaming center [dmerz.com] I'm associated with, so I have more than enough first-hand research at my disposal....

      First, I'll state that among the patrons there, the social interaction is FAR greater than you see in the majority of other open settings, such as banks, grocery stores, parks, etc. Let's face it, if you really wanted to treat them as apples-to-apples, you could say shopping is largely an anti-social activity. I rarely talk to more than just the cashier, and I kno
    • gaming is non productive because most of what people do while playing video games is learn to play that video game better. you can argue this with training reflexes, logic skills, adding creative juice and all that jazz but it depends which is worth more or less to the gamers themselves. for example my time is definitely better spent not playing video games but looking for a job.

      Indeed. Cooking and eating are also not productive uses of time-- it should be significantly faster to create an optimally nutr
    • gaming is non productive because most of what people do while playing video games is learn to play that video game better. you can argue this with training reflexes, logic skills, adding creative juice and all that jazz but it depends which is worth more or less to the gamers themselves.

      Gaming should be considered a recreational activity. What makes gaming different from, let's say:

      Reading a book?

      Playing poker with a couple of buddies?

      Watching TV/ going out to Theater?

      Listening to music?

      Paintin

  • Answers to the guy's questions (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Rosco P. Coltrane ( 209368 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @05:00PM (#6118707)
    is it really anti-social?

    Obviously not, otherwise the entire documentary would be composed of guys turning their back and saying "piss-off I'm busy".

    is it only for geeks?

    My sister has a NES, she's not a geek.

    is it a non-productive use of time

    Depends on who's playing :

    - If you play for fun once in a while, it's good entertainment. If you play online now and again, you also get to socialize in new interesting ways. If you're a game addict of course, it's no more productive than doing drugs.

    - If you're a young lad who wants to get into computers, gaming can teach you a lot. I myself learned a lot about UI designs, sprites, bit blitting, joystick hardware, overscanning ... just by playing games, and I also taught myself assembly, the structure of Atari ST diskettes MBRs and much more just because I wanted some great games so bad and didn't have the money to pay for licit copies. Those things I learned due to my interest in games in the eighties are still the base of what makes me a good (I think) engineer.

    - If you're not primarily into computers and you play too much, that'll teach you nothing at all. I doubt Einstein could have published anything worthwhile if he was a keen Duke Nukem addict for example.
    • - If you're not primarily into computers and you play too much, that'll teach you nothing at all. I doubt Einstein could have published anything worthwhile if he was a keen Duke Nukem addict for example.

      Probably would have been renamed "Theory of relativity, you alien bastards."

    • Re:Answers to the guy's questions (Score:4, Interesting)

      by cavemanf16 ( 303184 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @05:36PM (#6118979) Homepage Journal
      I agree, and I'm sure most computer engineers or programmers would agree as well.

      We grew up playing with this new technology, and in the mind of a child, there's no bounds to the amount of time you have to explore, take things apart, put them back together, etc. And that's the mind of an engineer or programmer of computers. So "wasting" my time on my parent's 286 getting games to run from the command line ('cause there wasn't much in the way of GUI's back then) certainly got me hooked on computers, and made me smarter than the average Joe computer user because my games required the latest, greatest tech in the computer world. That made me learn what I needed, and why I needed it rather quickly, because without the different upgrades and tweaks applied to the computer I couldn't play my games to their fullest.

      And look at those who design games now: people with Master's and PHD's in Math, Physics, etc. Not to mention the highly creative minds it takes to come up with some of the better games over the years, like Tetris, Super-Mario Bro.'s, the Civilization series, all those flight sims, etc.
    • I don't know, still playing with a NES in this day and age is one hallmark of a geek. It's not easy keeping those old boxes running, often times it requires soldering on a new connector in the back and other various trickery. Maybe your sister is a geek, but she doesn't want to tell you.
  • is it really anti-social? is it only for geeks? is it a non-productive use of time?

    Yes, yes it is.

    Do you really need a documentary?

  • ESReality.com (Score:3, Funny)

    by leoboiko ( 462141 ) <leoboikoNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @05:07PM (#6118762) Homepage
    I cannot but wonder what ESReality.com looks like... is it a place full of geeks bearing guns and where free market economic theory works?

  • My Thoughts (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Otik2 ( 317009 ) * <joel486&gmail,com> on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @05:08PM (#6118765) Homepage
    The documentary didn't seem all that helpful to me. Just a couple of gamers defending themselves, but there's not much substance. Though I'd never heard of "Diabalo II." =)

    I'm a gamer (though not as serious as these guys), but since none of my friends play, it is a bit antisocial. But, then again, since they don't want to play that's just as much their fault. Or something like that. I'd think playing a game for a couple of hours with friends is FAR better than going to a movie... since it's dark and you can't talk, it's no different than if you went by yourself.

    But I play my games for the story, generally. So the way I see it, playing an RPG is like reading a good book (or a bad book, as the case may be). I also like strategy games, and those are possibly the most "intelligent" games there are. I've certainly learned more from Civilization II and Starcraft than I have from lots of things we do in school....
    • Don't let anyone tell you what's social and anti-social. Social doesn't inheritantly mean good and being alone or lanning doesn't mean anti-social. I could easily go off on a tangent here so I gotta restrain myself. The majority of people that call gaming anti-social have absolutely NO history or experience with it. To them you playing CS with 10 other 25+ year olds is no different than a 5 year old playing Nintendo. Fuck em. These are the type of people that will tell you working 60 hours a week at a
      • To them you playing CS with 10 other 25+ year olds is no different than a 5 year old playing Nintendo.

        Right! It's different, because (most of the) 25 year olds shave.

  • this reminds me of bang the machine [naatanet.org], a documentary about gamers.

  • Gamers don't integrate well with the real world. (Score:5, Funny)

    by Rahga ( 13479 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @05:10PM (#6118781) Journal
    "Is it anti-social?"

    Definitely.... Gamers almost never use the phone while playing. Compare this to people driving cars, shopping, watching movies in the theater, or catching the newest reality TV show. This communications void, combined with the ineffectiveness of internet advertising, results in many gamers out of the loop when it comes to pop culture media. BSA researchers compared estimated demand of the final episode of the second season of "The Bachelor" to the actual number of viewers calculated by Neilsen, and determined that 54 million gamers watched it on PVR recorders, thus skipping all advertising contained in the program. The effect gamers are having on the national economy is devastating.

  • Justified by TV (Score:4, Funny)

    by SimplexO ( 537908 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @05:12PM (#6118795) Homepage
    They kept self-justifying their obvious addiction to games by comparing playing games to watching TV. They claimed that because it's interacting, it's therefore better for you. I found that claim faulty. That's like saying eating candy all day is good for you -- because hey, it's better than smoking crack all day. While that statement is true, it doesn't make eating candy all day a good thing.

    Also, am I the only one that thought those pansy Europeans yelped like little girls?

  • As opposed to... (Score:3)

    by Yarn ( 75 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @05:15PM (#6118824) Homepage
    A prehistoric gamer documentary. I assume.

    I've been to lan parties, I'm not sure I'd want to watch a documentary on one.

    In my personal experience it involves about 30min of which ever quake game has been released followed by drinking, one person monopolising the toilet for religious reasons and general trashing of the venue. I have since graduated to real parties, which don't involve the quake, but are otherwise strikingly similar.

  • "Video Games Hone the Mind" (Score:3, Redundant)

    by StAugustineLovesYou ( 678635 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @05:16PM (#6118835) Homepage Journal
    is it a non-productive use of time?

    Not according to this article [cbsnews.com] from the Associated Press on research conducted at the University of Rochester:

    (AP) All those hours spent playing video games may not be wasted time after all: A new study suggests action-packed video games like "Grand Theft Auto III" and "Counter-Strike" may sharpen your mind.

    Researchers at the University of Rochester found that young adults who regularly played video games full of high-speed car chases and blazing gun battles showed better visual skills than those who did not. For example, they kept better track of objects appearing simultaneously and processed fast-changing visual information more efficiently.

    ...see link for full text

  • "...we're asking them to download this 75mb DivX file."

    What's wrong with this picture?
  • Can someone transcribe it? I really don't have time to watch a documentary about a LANparty. C'mon.
  • Dude, its a proven fact that LAN parties are honey traps for the ladies. Bloody hell, they are drawn to the bright lights like bugs to lamps. The amount of lubrication secreted by the sacred fruit is relative to the output of radiation by the LCD screens. "Once...while at LAN camp...."

  • Gamers aren't all geeks... (Score:3, Funny)

    by fudgefactor7 ( 581449 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @05:28PM (#6118925)
    look at Asia Carerra. She's no geek (well, not the stereotypical geek, at any rate.)

    Gaming can use a few more hotties like her to alter the image of geekdom.

  • Say what? Gaming is very popular in mainstream, non-geek, society, I though that was commonly accepted! Look at all the rap and movie stars that proudly display their gaming gear on MTV Cribs!

    And isn't it _supposed_ to be a waste a time? I mean, that's how we demonstrate that we are wealthy and better than our peers - by wasting time that other people might have to spend working.

    I'm not saying that a documentary of a LAN party isn't a great idea ('cause I've never been to one and I'd love to see how it wo

  • CBC Radio Documentary on LAN Parties (Score:5, Interesting)

    by GraZZ ( 9716 ) <`ac.voninamkcaj' `ta' `kcaj'> on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @05:38PM (#6119002) Homepage Journal
    A couple of years ago, a friend's mother, Kathy Ahsby, did a short little documentary/opinion piece for Outfront on CBC radio. The archive is here [www.cbc.ca].

    This was back when we were really into CS (and we still were, right up until we split up around the time we went to university).

    Kinda hilarious, because there's audio takes from the particular party in question (which I sadly missed).
  • Fun "alternative" things to do at a lan party.

    1) License pool. Have everyone bet on what percentage of the games/operating system is licensed. Then check. Hint: it's usually best to guess low. Especially where microsoft is concerned :)

    2) "My other system". Go around, and have each person tell about their "other system", that's taken apart/broken/being upgraded/too big to bring. "My other system has a 1TB raid 0 array - 2 4x100GB arrays, and a 2x100, all Software raided into a 1TB array. I'd bring
    • 2) "My other system". Go around, and have each person tell about their "other system", that's taken apart/broken/being upgraded/too big to bring. "My other system has a 1TB raid 0 array - 2 4x100GB arrays, and a 2x100, all Software raided into a 1TB array. I'd bring it, but it's too big, what with it's 3 power supplies and all...".

      Hah! My other system has a 1TB RAID array with 4x250MB drives, which fit in my case and run off one power supply!

    • "4) Burn In - Everyone overclocks their systems as fast as they can stabily do so, then removes their fans. Last PC to catch fire wins. It's kind of like russian roulette."

      Hmm, I don't know. At the Russian Roulette you have 1 chance in n to die; with the Burn In you have one chance in n that your computer will NOT die, seems more dangerous, like playing Russian Roulette with only one empty slot.

  • WASTE (Score:3, Funny)

    by blixel ( 158224 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @05:41PM (#6119033)
    I'm sending the gaming documentary to a friend of mine via WASTE right now. :)

  • non-productive? (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Sure video gaming is non-productive, but so are other things. Watching TV for example. (and some might argue that TV is less productive, because you don't interact).

    The reported average time that Americans spend watching TV is 4 hours a day. Surely this number can compete with the average time gamers play games.

    So why are video games dismissed as non-productive wastes of time, but TV is ok? Because everybody watches TV, and video gamers are a minority.

  • Anti-social? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by AvantLegion ( 595806 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @06:03PM (#6119250) Journal
    A gamer is no more anti-social than an avid bookreader. At least some games involve a social aspect through multiple players.

  • Mirror..... (Score:3, Informative)

    by darrad ( 216734 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @06:17PM (#6119345) Homepage
    For those of you without BitTorrent here is a mirror. Click [bangroot.com]

    and for those who are wondering, I am stress testing the server.....

  • Let's step back for a moment (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Tarindel ( 107177 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @06:31PM (#6119439)
    Why do we as a society label everything that's addictive or causes antisocial behavior as intrinsicly bad?

    First off, let me state flat out I'm a video game addict. I play a lot of games, it's what I like to do when I get home from work, and I occasionally do it to the detriment of other things in my life (like the dishes in my sink are about to get up and walk away if I don't clean them soon). While I do play a fair number of online games, I also play single games because sometimes I just don't feel like dealing with people. Usually this is after work, when I'm tired and maybe a little cranky. Trust me, my friends are much happier when I lose myself in a good anti-social video game than when I'm tired and try to hang out with them.

    There are lots of different kinds of people. Some people are totally energized by social interactions, others aren't. I'm somewhat in the middle -- if I don't get much social interaction or spend too many days in the house, I start to crave it. But if I spend too many days out and about with friends, I wear down. I get tired of it. I need some time off to myself to refresh my batteries.

    So what am I getting at? I'm a games addict, and I'm antisocial at times. I've turned down requests to go out with friends because I was too busy being caught up in a game. But taken as a whole, I'd consider my life to be pretty normal. I work a full-time job, I go out with friends at least 3 times a week, I'm dating a nice girl, I find the time to cook myself dinner a couple times a week, I make it a point to do exercise at least every other day, etc...

    The point is, while these activities may not be particularily healthy in and of themselves, they're a vital part of my fairly balanced life. They make me happy, they keep me going, they keep me wanting to go out and be social and do all the things that are considered stereotypically healthy.

    It's all about keeping the balance. If addictive or anti-social behavior isn't throwing your balance totally out of whack, then so what?

    Are gamers anti-social? Some are always. Some are sometimes. Is it only for geeks? Probably not, though a lot of people will bother to try. Is it a non-productive use of time? Are doing activities that help keep me happy considered non-productive?

    There are plenty of other well accepted anti-social, potentially addictive activities that don't have negative stigma: reading is a good example.

    It seems to me interviewing geeky lan-party-going gamers about these things is the wrong way to go. You'd be better off interviewing non-stereotypical gamers and presenting that to non-gamers to reinforce the view that such activities aren't limited to one subset of the population that happens to be anti-social addicts.
    • Hi, the main problem is that the term antisocial in its correct usage is a psychiatric euphemism for evil:

      antisocial behavior

      Conduct indicating indifference to anotherâ(TM)s person or property; criminal behavior, dishonesty, or abuse are examples. In DSM-IV, childhood or adolescent antisocial behavior (in contrast to antisocial personality disorder, etc.) are included as âoeother conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention.â American Psychiatric Association definition [webref.org]

      Unfortun

  • Common misconception (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    You never meet hot chicks at the LAN party, get them drunk, go home with them and have sex. Is that wrong?

  • "anti-social" vs. "asocial" (Score:4, Insightful)

    by dr_canak ( 593415 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @06:41PM (#6119513)
    I see this *so* often that i do my best to correct it when I see it. There is a giant difference between calling someone "asocial" and calling someone "antisocial."

    "Antisocial" is a clinical, psychiatric diagnosis. It's considered a personality disorder, and in fact is one of the personality disorders that essentially relies on contacts with others (although in an exploitive fashion), for the diagnosis to be made. It is also often confused with "sociopathic." While a sociopath always carrys a dx of Antisocial Personality Disorder, it's not always true that an antisocial personality disordered person is a sociopath.

    Nelson on the Simpsons, "Cigarette man" on the X-Files, Gordon Gecko from "Wall Street," and "Animal" on the Muppets would be considered "Antisocial."

    "Asocial," which is what everyone usually means when they say "antisocial", is an indifference to social relationships. It's alot harder to think of good asocial examples, cause they don't lend themselves to good storytelling ;-).

    It's that simple.

    hth,
    jeff

  • Asocial != Antisocial; a nit + an open question (Score:4, Insightful)

    by blenderfish ( 156901 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @06:51PM (#6119583)
    I think most people saying "antisocial" actually mean "asocial"-- anti-social tends to imply a destructive tendency (such as in a sociopath,) whereas a lot of gamers I know are more "asocial"; they'd like to join society, (and are decent citizens), but aren't particularly blessed with the social grace to do so.

    But, nitpicking aside, do you think many gamers _would_ participate in social activity if only they were better at it? Or might "antisocial" be the right word after all?

    From m-w.com:
    Asocial:
    not social: as a : rejecting or lacking the capacity for social interaction

    Antisocial:
    1 : averse to the society of others : UNSOCIABLE
    2 : hostile or harmful to organized society; especially : being or marked by behavior deviating sharply from the social norm

  • well, I'm convinced (Score:1, Flamebait)

    by Slurpee ( 4012 )
    "Modern Day Gamers" are both anti-social and geeks.

    I mean, the first thing you hear is him having a huge sniff!!!

    You also see boys screaming like girls, people sitting around staring at the screen and hardly talking, and interviews with women in their lives who think they are anti-social.

    And seriously....did he have to pick people who look like the stereotypical geek?

    I'm not sure what he was actually attempting to achieve...but if it was to strengthen stereotypes, he has achieved it!

  • Scary (Score:2, Insightful)

    by zzzmarcus ( 183118 )
    Am I the only one who got the chills when that guy said that he plays 5 hours a day and 8 hours on weekend... that's 41 hours a week! That is a very significant portion of your life spent sitting at the computer doing nothing productive (social or otherwise).

    Whether it's TV or playing games, that is just way too much time.

    Don't get me wrong, I play a bit of CS here and there too, but wow... I'm rethinking the 45 minutes a day I play after watching that documentary.
    • Nothing productive socially? I suppose I could do what most people my age do, much of which involves substance abuse, destroying property, etc, but instead I find joy in things that don't have (real world) death in the equation. Putting my enthusiasm for technology to use and gaming on-line w/ friends seems like a good choice.

      I will agree with you if that person seriously does not have connections with anyone in his real life community. However, I do feel there are a signifficant number of people like myse
  • I need to be careful about what I say here, since I may be seen as bias, being the host of the LAN... I think the film was well made - full credit to Simon. I think I would have done a significantly poorer job, if I'd even had the vision to start it. I also appreciate that Simon was short on time when making the film, so had to be selective on his approach. But... you knew that was coming didn't you! But, I think the film featured too heavily on the side-aspects of gaming, mainly the number of hours spent
  • For two comments above. Will you even remember yesterdays news? I wont remember the game, but the skills I learnt will stay with me longer. I think the film simply leads viewers to think that gamers simply spend as much time attached to their keyboards as possible, without considering that many of us have girlfriends and hence have to find the time to spend with them, have hobbies outside of computing, and that a LAN gaming event is more concentrated gaming than we see until the next one and as a result co

  • The Modern Day Gamer? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by mraymer ( 516227 ) <mraymer@nOsPaM.centurytel.net> on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @07:26PM (#6119787) Homepage Journal
    Well, I'm a gamer. I'm not too modern though because my computer is ancient by PC Gaming standards:

    P3 850 MHz, 256 MB of RAM, GeForce3

    I once reviewed PC games for gaminghorizon.com. [gaminghorizon.com] It was easily the most fun I ever had writing, mainly because it was the first time more than a couple people would be reading something I wrote. Due to my shocking talent of being able to post on slashdot quite regularly but not being able to meet deadlines for GHZ, I am no longer part of their staff.

    It's probably for the best, since I doubt I could review modern PC games for much longer with this humble system, and with my current financial status an upgrade isn't likely. PC gaming is not really a cheap hobby, but because of that it is always on the bleeding edge, unlike consoles which are supposed to have a life span of about 5 years.

    As for console fans out there, I recommend Blizzard's PC games (yeah I know bnetd dmca blah) but their games are always designed with very straightforward interfaces, and could help to convert console gamers to PC. I've had some success with this method. ;)

    • But why would console gamers want to convert to the PC? PC games fall into totally different genres in the main from console games. I converted from being a PC gamer to a console gamer four years ago. I still read reviews of PC games, and I haven't seen one in four years that I wanted to play badly enough to buy another fully loaded gaming PC. I just think console games are more focussed on fun rather than geeky minutae. Go Nintendo!

      I think the description of this film as being about gamers is pretty inacc
      • I'm not surprised; reading about a game isn't going to make you want to fork over the change for a new PC. You really need to experience a demo at the very least to make that kind of investment.

        If you find MMORPGs interesting, you should check out Blizzard's currently in development project, World of WarCraft. [blizzard.com] When it is released, I think I'll have to put eating on hold for a month so that I can upgrade. ;)

        You're right about Nintendo... The GC rocks, and I would get one for Metroid Prime alone... If o

  • This [soundprint.org] speaks to gaming [mis-]conceptions. Aired last night on the NPR program Sound Print. It's good. Funny too!

  • News for nerds? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by t0qer ( 230538 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:31PM (#6120096) Homepage Journal
    What makes you think non nerds are going to see this video?

    (btw, clicked the bt link, ran off to take a shower, came back and it was done! Go BC and BT :D)

  • Only For Geeks? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by dupper ( 470576 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:33PM (#6120105) Journal
    I'm a lowly bench warming lineman on my high school's football team (still a geek, though). One day, before practice started, I overheard the team's star running back (who's more recently gotten a football scholarship to a major US college) explaining the difference between IP, HTTP and FTP to another jock (good private school, so everybody had some basics). Surprised at his interest, I later asked him about his interest in computers, and he explained it was primarily gaming. And, no, not just the newest, shiny shooters, we discussed 15 hour Civilization (the first 2) binges, and other classics, without the "ooh, shiny!" or "look at those fuggin' intestines splatter!" one would expect of the stereotypical jock. He didn't go so far as Everquest, or Nethack (he did have a life befitting a sports star, after all), but the point is anyone can be a gamer.

  • please define antisocial (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Alien Being ( 18488 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @09:00PM (#6120224)
    In the sense that some games glorify crime, I think it's reasonable to ask whether they lead the player to antisocial behavior.

    But, I don't think it's fair to say that a person is antisocial because they choose to spend their time alone playing games. Asocial maybe, but not antisocial.

    And to claim that lan parties are antisocial or asocial seems absurd.
  • I believe that video games are just like any other hobby. Some people spend tons of money on fixing up a car or their house. Some people watch or play sports. Me, I play video games. It's a hobbie. I don't really see how this should be looked upon as something different from any other hobbie. However, I do think that video games are getting more widely accepted. Just look how popular Playstation 2 is and you get the picture.
  • I used to be just like these guys... 5 hours a day, 8 hours a day on the weekends. I stopped because I was becoming one-dimensional - your whole life revolves around playing games. I quit because I realized I was wasting my life away in front of a computer monitor, producing nothing. Its not as bad as being addicted to TV, but its really close.

    Its similar to my main objection to sports. The vast majority of professional atheletes produce nothing of value. The things they gain are only valuable in a very n

  • In it, I use interviews from a LAN party I went to in Brighton...
    As a gamer living in Brighton, I would say that these anti-social fuckers need to learn about publicity.

    I never even knew than LAN parties happened down here...
  • read my sig... putting "anti" in front of something makes it sound like a bad thing

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