Comments on: Review: Death by Video Game, Simon Parkin

By: Katie @ Doing Dewey

Katie @ Doing Dewey — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 07:05:00 +0000

I love gaming, but it is hard to balance with reading, time-wise! I’ve not found it to be too expensive though. I play a lot of online games with friends and we can get into a single game for quite a long time. I think I could still learn new things from reading this, but I’m concerned I’d find it annoyingly negative about video games, given the title and some of the topics you mentioned.

By: Tasha B. (heidenkind)

Tasha B. (heidenkind) — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 04:59:00 +0000

I never got into gaming. I think the only game I ever finished was the Clara Bow mystery games, and that was mainly because they reminded me of book! But I do find gaming culture fascinating so I might see if my library has this.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 21:11:00 +0000

My son is a gamer, and honestly, I don’t get it. He used to be a voracious reader, but now he barely reads at all. He much prefers sitting at his computer playing his games, sometimes with his friends and other times by himself. There is no doubt he has fun, but when left to his own devices he would not sleep. We struggle with this, although we have not bothered to evaluate why it is easier to accept someone reading all night versus someone staring at a computer screen all night. This has been one of the biggest areas of contention between my son and us as he tries to explain how enriching these games are and how they help him mentally. I confess that I remain dubious, but I am still mourning the loss of my reading son.

By: Memory

Memory — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 16:14:00 +0000

Y'see, I've always thought games might be fun, but they're expensive like you said and there doesn't seem to be a favourable learning curve with the ones you play with other people, so I've always resisted. I did buy a gaming Humble Bundle ages ago because it was $5, but it turned out my then-computer wasn't strong enough for games so I gave up. I do like things about games, though! Things about games bring me great joy. Also, earrings don't take as much time and energy as all that. I wear the same rings for weeks at a stretch. They just sit in my ears day after day, keeping my piercings open until such time as I want to switch 'em out for some hooks. (The post earrings with the little grabby things on the back are super uncomfortable, so I avoid those.) I do have an earring tale of WOE, though. When I was nineteen, I decided I was gonna get lots more holes, but my piercer friend squeezed my ears and told me my lobes weren't large enough for it. I remain bummed to this day.

By: Stefanie@SoManyBooks

Stefanie@SoManyBooks — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 16:00:00 +0000

I like old fashioned gaming without a screen 🙂 I don’t have a TV therefore no video game console and my computer is a Mac so even when I go in search of prospective video games I am very limited and have yet to find one that has piqued my interest enough to buy it and then spend hours and hours playing it. I’ve tried a few on my iPad and while they were fun for like a week after that they got boring and I deleted them. I am hard to please 🙂

By: helen (a gallimaufry)

helen (a gallimaufry) — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 12:16:00 +0000

Jenny, you have such a talent for finding interesting books and writing brilliantly about them. I agree with you about everything! Even ear-piercing! (Though I would add, I suspect that having holes punched in your earlobes might hurt a bit, and I am not a fan of pain.)
Going to read your piece in SNB now! Looks great.

By: Kim Aippersbach

Kim Aippersbach — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 05:01:00 +0000

I suspect my sons would like it if I read this! Though I already know just from observing the games they play that it’s impossible to make the blanket judgement parents like to make about video games. I’ve seen them play and talk about some very cool things. They keep wanting me to try some, and there are some that I think I would really enjoy, but my TBR is already so long, how could I add yet another long list to the list?!

By: JeanPing

JeanPing — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 23:03:00 +0000

If I played video games much I’d have permanently injured arms, so that’s an incentive. I’d totally replay all the Myst games though, I loved them. Oh, and Portal was awesome.

By: Katherine Koba

Katherine Koba — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 20:38:00 +0000

Yessss team no earrings!

Incidentally I’ve been looking for a book like this for a while (one of my English tutees is an avid gamer) so thanks for bringing it up!

By: teresareads

teresareads — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 14:02:00 +0000

I avoid video games for much the same reason you do. I had Civilization on CD back before online gaming was a thing, and my need to finish the thing made it too much of a time suck.

Your mention of EVE reminds me of a favorite podcast episode about one of the game’s more influential players who died in the attack on the embassy in Libya. http://www.wnyc.org/story/11-rip-vile-rat/