Many of you could see the potential of jefbot merging his Tetris abilities with his current moving situation back when the strip JEFBOT.417 was released a few weeks back. I’m sure many of you can Justify many of your own “misspent” hours playing videogames just like bot, here. I’d like to think a bunch of the RPGs, RTSs and MMOs I’ve played have honed my reasoning, deductive and social skills, and some platformers and FPSs have certainly improved my hand-eye coordination. To say nothing of games like Brain Age and Wii Fit that have tuned my brain and body respectively, somewhat. What games have you readers played that have influenced your skills in the “Real World”? If your response is Splatterhouse or perhaps some of the more violent parts of the Grand Theft Auto series, please get help.
Hmm… I want to say Minecraft because it is cooler, but I don’t have an account, so I’ll say Roblox because I am top in my programming class because of that game.
ooh, i’m gonna have to google Roblox now, The Programmer – i’m not familiar with it. and people keep trying to drag me into Minecraft, but so far i’ve been able to resist as i don’t need another Time Suck right now!
and check you out – you got the first comment so you get the Shades of Firsting! wear these well – they have an augmented reality version of Tetris built in:
😎
Roblox gets boring if you don’t know programming. And trust me, programming may cause headaches, stress, and possible time skips figuring out how to program. A cure? It’s called “Goingout”. Gee, that must be an expensive drug…
Minecraft is amazing. It definitely has effected how I look at things. Also as a nature nerd (more rare but we do exist) I am really fascinated with how Minecraft reflects the way people look at and interact with the natural world. Minecrafts world has largely unlimited resources though some are hard to find. Also the randomly generated landscapes can be surprisingly beautiful and complex though still much less so than the natural world.
I just got over the flu but while I had it I read through and enjoyed your entire comic. Thanks!
Oops, that misplaced “effected” was due to autocorrect, do please mentally convert it to affected. Also i forgot to mention that I noticed Runyon canyon in the comic. Probably one of my least favorite hikes due to crowdedness but great place to people and dog watch. I also saw a coyote dog watching there once. Not sure if he or she had romance or dinner on the mind, perhaps dependent on the size of the dog.
we are agreed on runyon canyon: it’s so crowded there now! almost impossible to find a parking spot even close to the hiking zone on weekend mornings. it takes a little more time for me to get to, but there’s a place off of coldwater canyon that i frequent more these days.
my friends that play Minecraft have told me similar stories (not to mention the YouTube vids i’ve seen) about how complex/beautiful the world there is, Slow water movement, but i’ve managed to stand firm and not get enticed! i fear if i even install the game, my release schedule for the comic will be reduced to 1 strip/month almost instantly.
“GoingOut”??? what’s that, ShadowShuffler? somehow i think it’s superseded by a different drug called “StayingIn”…
Which is free, and surprisingly addictive…
The Assassin’s creed series and the Alien and Predator levels in the (newest)AVP game. Because it involved different thinking and non-direct approaches to accomplishing things. The violence was a happy accident.
ooh, i loved the Assassin’s Creed games, 52pickup! although i still need to finish the latest one before the new one gets released. *sigh* so many games, so little time…
This is exactly how I move! I can also pack luggage like it’s my job.
sweet! do you do freelance packing, cynnamon? i might just have a job for you the next time i move. 😉
YES! Every move I’ve had began like this. Usually it ends with varying degrees of “just dump stuff wherever.”
heh. sadly, that’s the way these things usually end up for me too, Joe. 🙂
Actually…
http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-real-skills-video-games-have-secretly-been-teaching-us/
nice! “organization” made it to #4 on their list, which is pretty good!
First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Secondly…yeah… I don’t get to play video games. I played World of Warcraft for a while, but once the Red-Headed Demon turned one year old (and finally started walking) a few years back, I had to stop. NOW that there’s a second one on the way (and almost here) I don’t get to do much at all… I could say that DDR taught me how to dance, but honestly, it just taught me how to jump around and make a fool of myself while entertaining toddlers. 🙂
aww, thanks for the bday wish, Ky! 😀
and i hear ya about DDR – i almost used that as an example of videogames teaching things in the blog post, but reconsidered for the exact reasons you mentioned. heheh.
Any FPS that has a map, I got really good at reading maps because I had to look at them constantly to find exits or hidden rooms in games.
i’m still not great at reading maps in RL, TPC, but i’d be a lot worse had it not been for games like Bard’s Tale and Ultima IV!
Haha! That was a good one Jeff. Hope Bot can get to his new place safely, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! At least I hope this is right or Facebook lied. (:
ha! nope, FB didn’t lie – so thanks for the “Happy Birthday,” Nat! glad you liked today’s comic. 🙂
Happy birthday ‘bot!!
For a month now, since obtaining a copy of Tetris DX (after reading this strip), I’ve become quite addicted, and it’s all your fault. (I kid, I kid; only partly! 😀 )
thanks, Insectoid! my birfday was indeed happy. 🙂
and i’m also happy to have inspired your Tetris DX addiction! that version of the game is one of the best!!! i spent many an hour on that one myself. 😀
That was awesome.
I think there’s a trope for this sort of thing, I just can’t remember.
glad you found some awesomeness in the strip, GB!
Don’t get me wrong, I love the way it’s done here, but would that trope be “seenonthesimpsons”?
Dude, you hit the nail on the head. When I got lit up by the California Highway Patrol for speeding, and tried to get away by accelerating to incredible speed, running over some pedestrians to gain points, then jumping my car to safety on the third level of a parking garage after spotting a car carrier truck with its ramp down (why else would a car carrier be parked there), I knew it was time to take a break from Grand Theft Auto.
indeed, sean luke! i always get this way after playing the Burnout series – where i’m constantly looking for ways to make the most spectacular crach/car pileup EVER. not a very safe thing to do when you’re on an L.A. freeway. 😉
Happy birthday!
I think Dragon Age and the Zelda games taught me diplomatic and creative ways to deal with problems. Diplomacy is a good skill in Dragon Age, and Zelda’s puzzles…yeesh. Plus, Dragon Age has Alistair, who is my drool-worthy companion. Cute and funny…now who else could that sound like… 😉
woo! thanks, T! 😀
i’ve definitely learned some diplomacy playing RPGs, too – although every so often i’ll take the “evil,” undiplomatic path in games like Mass Effect just to see what will happen. though i usually go back, reload and play the “nice” path right after, cuz i feel too guilty.
I know, right? I have a bad habit of connecting to the characters and thinking I’m the one in the game, and I hate having people think ill of me, so I take the “good” path almost by default. But since I’m a perfectionist, I have to get all the trophies, and that requires at least one “evil” playthrough where I have to harden my heart and take the path I don’t like.
I’ve also learned how to make engaging characters from RPGs, since so much of the story tends to be based on how people respond to each other. Conversation has always been a writing weak point for me–good thing I don’t do screenplays!–so listening to the different voices helps me make each character sound different when I write.
I grew up with one video game console that I only had one game for: an SNES with Super Mario World. I beat that game dozens of times, figured out all the secret levels, and greatly improved my hand-eye coordination, patience, and tenacity.
well if you’re going to have one game for one console, Super Mario World is a pretty awesome one to have, Soul Man! i’m really hoping they port that one over to the 3DS as it’s one of my faves. 🙂
Yeah, a 2D side scroller would be awesome in 3D! Just kidding, but the improved graphics and whatever else they’d throw in would definately be great.
no, no, NO! THE LAST TIME YOU HAD A TETRIS STRIP I WAS PLAYING TETRIS FOR THREE FREAKIN WEEKS BECAUSE OF THAT!!!
also, glad to have you back!
So I wasn’t the only one it rubbed off on. XD
ha! apologies to both you and Insectoid, steve! hopefully, you didn’t get “Tetris brain” and start organizing falling shapes whenever you closed your eyes…
and: thanks! it’s good to be back! 😀
Hehehe… my fiance is moving from CA to MI in a week, and I had already told him that we have to Tetris his car so that we can see out all of the windows and still have everything fit. I just sent him this comic since it’s perfect! ^_^
ooh, perfect timing, Shay! hope the “Tetris-ing” of your friend’s stuff works out. 😀
Nintendo Gameboy – $149.95
Tetris game package – $49.95
15 packages of 20 AA batteries – $69.95
Getting the movers to get it in one trip, Priceless.
For getting things, there’s MasterCard.
Forgetting a second trip, is worth the interest rates.
heheh. when you put it that way, it is indeed a small price to pay for getting all my stuff moved in one trip, Bl4ckw0lf!
My roommate does that. And she is awesome at it.
i thought i was good at it, but my buddy James from Little Vampires is an absolute pro at packing his entire booth into containers, dj!
And there are people who say video games aren’t good for anything but rotting the brain.
well i’m happy to prove that as a fallacy, KB! 😀
I had a similar experience last August. We had to settle for a smaller truck than we had rented (14′ instead of 16′) and absolutely had to get everything in one trip, because it was a 250-mile move. 20 years of Tetris skills put to the test!
wooHOO! glad your Tetris skillz came in handy there, E. A. Setser! it’s too bad that once you get a row of boxes packed, they don’t just disappear… 😉
I used to be addicted to video games. So much so that I was in “my own little gaming universe” while playing them. When I realized how addicted I was to video games, I realized I was prone to addictions. This helped me be careful with things like smoking, drinking ( alcohol ) and overeating. Sort of like the old adage of “once bitten twice shy”. At first video games loosened my grasp of reality for the previously mentioned reason. However, when I conquered my addiction I used video games in a way to spot the differences of how things work in video games vs. reality ( unlimited ammunition, multiple lives, wild animals that carry money etc. ) This actually strengthened my grasp of reality. Seems ironic but sometimes the arrow must be drawn backwards before it shoots forward.
Concerning “Splatterhouse”, I love that series but not because of the blood and gore. I like the “exploration” factor of dealing with enemies and obstacles and choosing your own path ( some levels ). I must admit it was the blood and gore that initially attracted me to “Splatterhouse” but I’m no longer into blood and gore. I was considerably younger then. I think I originally got into blood and gore to prove to myself that it wouldn’t freak me out but not even I am 100% sure about this.
Cinematic/story-oriented video games have enhanced my writing abilities. Not so much as a source for ideas, per se, but as a matter of seeing pacing in action for multiple story arcs, character developments, and perspectives occurring simultaneously. The trouble, as you’ve pointed out, is being able to immerse yourself in that world AND withdraw yourself from it on command.
i see the influence of videogames in storytelling all the time, E. A. Setser! especially in movies. just saw Wrath of the Titans over the weekend and funny how each scene plays out like a series of “levels,” complete with a “boss” at the end of each!
interesting, Rainey! you’re absolutely right when noting how videogames “strengthen” your grasp on reality. i feel the same way – i’m always comparing “real world” physics and mechanics to how they work in videogames. i think this can only provide a greater understanding of how our natural laws function on some level.
and, yes: Splatterhouse was a pretty fun game. even beyond the blood and gore. 🙂
This is exactly wat im good at i can organize the heck outta stuff and tetris is the shit thats one of the few games im good at
i used to be soooo good at games like Tetris and variations like Tetris Attack, MrSnow. afraid to test my skillz beyond organizing my geek loot, these days.
Videogames will never fail us! Tetris forever! XD!
sorry forgot to write my name 😛
Tetris is definitely one of those games that never get old, DAS! yes: Tetris forever!
So, if I am naturally good at this sort of thing, that should mean I’d be good at games like Tetris, right?? So why am I not? 🙁
I’ve been AWOL for a bit because my family is visiting. We have been having a lot of fun. I just got back from taking my bro to our gaming group. 😀
you might be surprised, Shanna – with a little practice, you might be awesome at a game like Tetris! (Mombot could attest!)
glad you’re back! what kind of “gaming group” are you a part of?
Hmm. My biggest skill from gaming is…. notcing things. Odd sound pitch changes, suddenly movements… things out of place.
I suppose hightened situational awareness is always a good thing to have.
that’s a great skill to have, Axilon, especially these days when videogames – especially RPGs – have all sorts of secrets tucked away in odd places. takes a keen eye and heightened senses to find ’em.
hm… Splatterhouse… and maybe the more violent parts of the Grand Theft Auto-series as well…
tbh, I don’t know… I played vidya all along during my youth and just became a real good gamer… I can’t say which game had exactly what influence on me, but all in all, they improved my hand-eye-coordination, my logical / mathematical skills (remember myst?) / my memory and my social skills as well (hours of hours dialogues in a german-medieval ascent actually helped^^)
I can charm like a boss, solve logical problems in a few seconds and catch a flying fly (not even kidding)
thx vidya for augmenting me
i feel the same way, Malkav: my hand-eye coordination/logic & math/memory/social skills have all been “leveled-up” by gaming. with iPads and other touchscreen devices teaching these skills to younger and younger humans, i think the next generation will be even more “augmented”!
Happy Belated Birthday, and may you never need to use your Halo skills in a RL situation.
thanks for the bday wishes, Sarah W! i’ll be celebrating all month, so i don’t even consider it “belated.” heheh.
and i’ll try not to use any “Halo skills” in RL, unless i’m taken away to another planet to fight as some sort of space marine in an interplanetary war. then those skills might come in handy. 🙂
Good Morning BOTiverse! Love this strip LOL
morning, Pixie! thanks for the strip love! 😀
And they say playing video games doesn’t pay off. Pssh.
pssh. yes, whoever says that is hugely mistaken, TCG.
Wow… you just blew my mind.
awesome. 🙂
The scorpion fight in Clash of the Titans looked like something out of a cross between God of War and Final Fantasy XII, complete with excessive brutality and that feeling of “Wait, how long have those other two monsters been there?”
not sure if you’ve seen the new Titans movie, E. A. Setser, but it’s even more like the God of War series (without as much character development) than the first one, if that’s possible. the entire movie was like watching a 90 minute cutscene.
As a philosophy student (at the graduate level), I actually find various video games to be prime areas to discuss issues within frameworks that are developed and clearly laid out. Morality is an obvious one, with games like Fallout or Mass Effect suggesting a certain moral set of “rules” that you may choose to follow or not, but the game grades you regardless. That’s interesting, and helpful when discussing morality, because it gives me a concrete world to think it through, and it also gives me other people to talk philosophy with, even if they don’t have a clue they are talking philosophy rather than gaming.
Beyond the obvious of morality, though, there are lots of places to think about dictatorship, influence, control, reality, or other philosophical concepts. Movies have obviously done these things, as have books for even longer, but video games certainly have a lot to offer.
Even if you just look at the Indoctrination Theory for Mass Effect; some gamers thought up a whole method of interpretation–a whole hermeneutic–just because the ending of the series didn’t make much sense to them (and, to be fair, to a lot of us). Whether the theory holds is another issue, but the point is that you can have a theory about reality and presentation of reality in a game, so why not in the real world? It’s fun stuff.
i love that videogames have progressed to the point where morality and storytelling can be discussed in a serious manner, J.F. Arnold. and i haven’t played Mass Effect 3 yet, so thanks for not spoiling anything! i keep hearing players haven’t been happy with the ending, but i want to experience it for myself before they change it (which i hear BioWare’s thinking about doing.)
From the press release, they will be adding to explain it. They won’t “change” it, but rather “augment” it, or something that effect. At least, that’s what it looked like to me.
Bioshock is next on my list of games (both the first and the second), I think, because they apparently ask interesting questions as well. Honestly, I’d love to write a paper on morality in video games, both as acted out and as presented (i.e., the difference between the decisions I make and the decisions that are presented; the former representing morality that I impose on the game and the latter demonstrating the morality of the writers, if one response is considered ‘good’ and another ‘bad’).
And of course I won’t spoil anything.
If you haven’t played ME2, ignore the next bit. Seriously.
During the Legion loyalty mission, your options are “rewrite the Geth” or “Destroy the Geth.” It’s interesting that the Paragon option is actually to rewrite them, simply because if the Paragon option is good, then the “good” option is to change the will of a living being. That’s a wild moral option, ultimately speaking, and seems clearly evil (brainwashing, indoctrination, etc). Destroying those you disagree with, while morally questionable, seems much easier to justify in context of war, particularly when the stakes are the future of the universe. Just an interesting point where the options seem flipped, but it makes me wonder about morality in the rest of the series. How trustworthy are developers at Bioware at presenting morality as such? This is the sort of stuff I love about games.
well if you get tired of being a actor or cartoonist you could always fall back on being a mover or a optimizer of space
very true, drakeye. it’s nice to have options. 🙂
First bump in the road your precious collectables and other fragile stuff will get crushed under the wight you piled on them. Still kudos for this awesome strip!
thanks for the “awesome,” Maryz! i’m glad you liked it. and bot only put the stuff in the truck he trusted the movers to move – his precious nerd loot is still in a pile in his apartment. 🙂
Now that’s one practical use for tetris. I wonder if that explains why the russians are so good at stuffing a lot of stuff in an inconceivably small space
could be, Jiro! Tetris must be a national pastime over there. 😉
Hahahaha. I have actually done this before when I helped my friend move.
sweet! glad you could relate, MrXyrte.
That’s so true! See, there are wonderful benefits for being obsessed with gaming! Did the word “obsessed” cross a line? I love your strip!
Codex of Alchemic Engineering. Great for logical thinking practice. Also, programming.